The Broken Path of Deception
by cascadenight
Summary: Some say fate is written in the stars, others believe we are in control of our lives, but what if that was a lie? What if a set of predetermined events forced you on to a path you never knew was available? In order to solve the puzzle, Layla has to reassemble pieces from shattered memories that have been lost in the path of time in a world she wished existed in her childhood.
1. Chapter 1

**Welcome old and new readers! I told you this was going to be a thing! For you new readers, this a redone story of _Beyond My Dimension,_ the very first story I published on here. This time around, I made a few major, and not so major, changes. You don't have to read the other one there are just a few additions to the plot, but if you want to compare, feel free! I don't know how long I will be keeping those up, but I will give a heads up for you. I _was_ going to change the plot with the whole dimension thing, but I didn't, instead I added to it. I hope you're not too disappointed for what I have in store for you guys after this ;)**

**Morty, Eusine and Layla are 21, the first major change I made. **

**Alright, enough from me, go forth and enjoy!**

* * *

Being alone is never a pleasant thing. I don't enjoy it much, but then again, I feel alone in a room full of people. And that's not because I'm all depressed about my life and stuff. No, I'm just different. I've been like this ever since I was little.

People give off this energy, and I can tell whether they're angry, sad, happy, or what they want at a certain moment. My parents told me it was my imagination, but now I call it a strong sense of empathy. It's what separates me from the crowd - literally. If I get too close, I lose control, and everyone suddenly blanks out or forgets what they were so emotional about.

I've spent most of my childhood years being the girl sitting in the back corner of the room or spending the most time in the library. That changed when I met my best friend, Kate Hawkins; she's full of energy and one of the nicest girls ever. She's the complete opposite of who I should be hanging out with, but she gets me. She lessens my loneliness and helps me belong in the world around me. I don't ask her to keep her energy down when she's around me, she just does.

The clock in the back of the the room ticks achingly slow to me. My professor drones on and on about the care of large animals. Normally, I love this class and participate fully, but today has been sour. I woke up late, got into fight with a girl on the way to class, and then forgot my notes, so now I'm idly taking new ones. A nap has never sounded so good to me before.

I sit alone in the far corner of the room, my chin in my hand and a blank expression on my face. The slackers to my right whisper quietly, always the usual, wondering if they should wear heels to the party or flats, or how they're planning on breaking up with their boyfriend even though I know they won't. Most days I can ignore them, but today, my brain is very drained.

Finally, when the lecture winds down and class is done with, I gather my things quickly and scurry out the door. The only thing keeping me from losing control is the the fact that soon I'll be cooking a delicious meal for dinner tonight. Kate will be baking something sweet and, yes, there will be drinks.

I break free of the science building and walk amongst the throng of students rushing to their next class or to their dorms. The sun shines bright in the sky amongst the marshmallow clouds drifting lazily in the spring wind. My mind fills with emotion, both my own and of those around me, making a sort of energy build within my chest. I beat it down as I cross the busy roads to the parking lot down the street.

Kate wants to meet up to do some shopping for food, and of course I agree. I enjoy grocery shopping more than anyone really should.

"Hey, Lay!" my best friend waves me over to her car excitedly.

Her light brown hair, medium in length, is pulled back into a tight french braid that stretches to her mid shoulder blade. Hazel eyes sparkle underneath her long lashes, their murky depths a stark contrast to her fair skin. She adjusts her dark purple racerback tank top and white shorts before opening the driver door.

"Hey, Kate, you ready for tonight?" I share her excitement in my voice, my grip on the door handle tightens the moment I sense her excitement mix with mine.

She waits patiently for me to count to ten and expel the extra energy, a drill that works a little more than half the time. With a muttered 'thanks', I slide into the passenger seat and relax as she turns the car on. It's moments like these that I'm very thankful for Kate, I'm also thankful for nights where I get to cook dinner.

My mom taught me how to cook, and ever since I was little, my skills have flourished. Then when I got older, and she urged me to do it for a living, it was like a knife had gone through me. I was immediately turned off by that idea. College in general freaked me out, there's no need to take away my one outlet.

Kate, on the other hand, is going to school to be a pastry chef. Her creations are melt-in-your-mouth amazing, and their arrangements are unique. She's known it for a long time now, I could sense it back in middle school that this was her wish, and I envy her confidence in herself. I get the benefit of practicing my own baking skills, though, and the same goes for her in cooking.

"I've been waiting all day," she snickers, pulling out of the parking lot and watching out for hoards of students.

We talk about the food we're going to be preparing tonight. I'm going to be making chicken tortilla soup, an old favorite of mine that I used to make back home with my mom. I always make it a little spicy, just the way I like it. It takes a while to prepare, and a little less to cook, but it's worth it.

Kate is going to be making chocolate lava cakes, just the thought of them has my mouth watering. She loves chocolate, and she hasn't made lava cakes before, a surprise really, but she has eaten it before, and now she wants to recreate the taste.

Our shopping trip is done within the hour, and in no time we're at our apartment strapping on aprons with our ingredients lined up on the counter. We've separated the kitchen with invisible lines to indicate where cooking ingredients go and where baking ingredients go. The first time we tried making food together ended in disaster because we couldn't keep our stuff straight. Now, we're like naturals.

The apartment we live in is nothing too fancy for college students, and is in fact a gift from Kate's extravagant parents. Two bedrooms, one large master bathroom, living and dining rooms all complete with a balcony. It's also only 30 minutes away from home and walking distance to campus.

My parents are happy with my choice to live with Kate. She's like a second daughter to them. We were separated in the dorms, which went okay, but we really missed each other, to the surprise of everyone else. Her parents, though, were ecstatic to hear of our plans to live together.

Kate's parents were wary about her not having me around in the dorms to make sure she was okay. They can be a bit overbearing with her. So when she wanted an apartment, and with me, they paid for our rent. They mean well, but, again, are overbearing when it comes to their only daughter.

Half way through our little cooking party, Kate pulls out some drinks from the fridge while swaying to the music. We're the rare duo that didn't really get drunk at parties like we thought we were going to do. We decided to go for fun, to see wasted students trying to dance, but we didn't dare try it ourselves. We even helped a few people home at times it got really bad.

Once we hit 21, we didn't really do much. We drank, but one of us was the designated driver and didn't drink every other time. And tonight, I don't think she wants to get really drunk with exams and stuff coming up.

A little more than two hours later, our apartment starts to get the strong aroma of chicken, taco spice, and chocolate. Not too appetizing all mixed together, but enough to rouse the curiosity of people who happen to catch a whiff to come in and try some. Kate giggles at the hungry look on my face as I pass her finished cakes for the umpteenth time. She always finishes her stuff early and teases me.

"Let's dig in!" she exclaims, getting bowls and plates out and setting them on the table with the food.

I spoon some soup into our bowls, admiring the way it turned out to be a rich red and how it almost smells like actual chicken tacos. On top of the soup, I set in avocado slices, red onion, a dollop of sour cream with cilantro, and tortilla strips. Satisfied by the array of colors, I slide the bowls into two places across from each other on the table while Kate gets out the cakes from being kept warm in the oven. She slides two into separate bowls and spoons in some ice cream.

My stomach growls loudly, pleading for me to hurry up and fill it with delicious food. With a clink of our glasses, Kate and I dig into our meals. I find myself humming in appreciation at the hearty soup sliding down my throat. The spices are soothed when I dig into Kate's delicious looking cakes. Smooth, warm chocolate mixed with cold and creamy ice cream settles my nerves and puts a smile on my face.

"Best dessert ever," I compliment her as she studies her food closely, looking for anything that could be improved.

"Thanks, I like it too," she grins at me before gesturing to her empty bowl. "It was delicious, but also spicy."

"Sorry, I may have got a little caught up in it," I state sheepishly.

My face is a bit warm from the drinks and now I want to go and sleep off all the food I stuffed myself with. It reminds me of the nights I would cook with my mom, both of us making our own dishes and getting the other to try it. I miss those days, back when I didn't know that I was so different, back when it didn't affect me...

With a quick goodnight, I retreat back to my room warm, a bit dizzy, and full of emotion. I resist the urge to stay up late and play video games, mainly Pokemon. If I did stay up, that's what I would be playing anyway. It's my calling, and is really the only time I feel at peace with myself, besides when I'm with Kate. I've been training my Misdreavus in hopes for a Mismagius. Lately, she's been my favorite and most trusted pokemon, but she's so cute that I'm not sure yet if I want her to evolve!

Changing into pajamas, a shiver runs down my spine at the thought of sleeping and dreaming. Recently, I've been having a dream about a woman and her child escaping some unknown chasers. It's eerie and strange, I have no idea why it keeps coming back or what it has to do with me. Even though it's very short, it's enough to worry me when I go to sleep...

_Rain pounds heavily against the ground as I watch the woman run through mud and puddles of water to get away from her pursuers. This is always the same, it's practically become a memory that I can recall when I'm awake. But all the same, I'm trembling with fear._

_Suddenly, the woman takes a different turn than normal and follows a long path flanked with tall trees. A howl pierces the air, another new addition. My heart is filled with dread and an icy feeling slides down my neck. She draws in a horrified gasp and picks up her pace, holding the child, a toddler by the size, to her tightly._

_Up ahead, I spy a large cave with an opening waiting for her to slip through. She dashes in without a second thought, as if it was her plan, and doesn't stop running. Her hood hides her face as she glances back quickly. I find myself running to keep up with her, though I can't get ahead of her to see her face._

_The child in her arms cries out as she awkwardly descends the ladder to the basement floor. Unlike the top floor, there is a short platform with a short wall and two statues on either side. I can't make out any of the writing, but this scene seems very familiar to me for some reason._

_She climbs the small steps and disappears down a hole, I silently scream for her and dive after her. But when I find her calmly floating down to another floor below, I force myself to stay calm. This next floor is dark, so dark I can barely pick out her figure in front of me as she takes a few steps forward._

_I hear her whisper softly to the child, a girl by the sound of her terrified, sleepy whimpers. Then sounds echo around them, not hostile sounds, but ones from animals communicating, and it weirds me out even more. A soft glow fills the room, and I see the woman kneeling in front of a small opening._

_She lifts the toddler, its blankets fall away, and my jaw drops when I see my own sleeping, childish face gazing innocently up towards the ceiling._

"What's going on?" _I demand, my voice echoes around the chamber. The dream is now frozen on the woman and the child, no, me, walking into the portal. "_Is this real?"

_My mind whirls at the sight in front of me and I reach out of my dream, hoping to wake up or something. There is no way this could be me, I would remember something like this happening in my lifetime. I stagger on my feet towards my little self, my mind reaches out to her as if she'll just start explaining everything._

_I'm desperate for answers, because this is the farthest I've ever gotten in this dream and the first time I've ever seen myself. Something in my head sets off and I feel everything around me slowly expanding. My dream disappears, sliding away like paint being washed away, and clouds start coming into view. Dark, ominous clouds with no sky to be seen spread out around me like an atmosphere._

_I frantically reach out to stop myself, I have a sense that I'm no longer home and have gone too far to get back. I pinch myself and then whimper when the pain I feel is definitely real and tells me I'm no longer dreaming. A cry sounds to my right and I'm hit with a shell shocking, jaw dropping sight: Unown._

_The pokemon Unown float before me, the whole alphabet plus the exclamation and question mark ones. My head spins and the world seems to spin with me, this can't be real. I'm in the Unown's home dimension._

This really can't be real_, I panic inwardly, my feet are shocked into place._

It is, _their tiny voices say in unison._ We need your help, our guardians are in danger.

Who? Why me? How is this possible?

You reached out to us, you bear our influence, help us... _they start to sway wildly in a flurry of shapes around me._

No, wait! I need more answers! _I rush forward to escape them, my whole body is buzzing, something is changing._

_Everything swirls around me, and the scene begins to change, warp and twist around me so fast I think I might puke. My head begins to pound and my vision wavers as the feeling of falling takes over. My last thought before blacking just as solid ground comes into view-_

What have I gotten myself into?

* * *

**A little shorter than what I'm used to, how different does Layla sound to you? Are you still wondering what's changed? ;) Second chapter should be up soon, my editor got a head start.**

**Until next time!**


	2. Chapter 2

"Morty, over here, Slowpoke," Eusine hisses in the darkness within the Ruins of Alph.

Ecruteak's gym leader changes his casual pace by only just a fraction while his purple and white clad best friend is a blur in the shadows. With his hands deliberately placed in his dark pants pockets, Morty silently stands next to the huddled form of Eusine. Secretly, he's excited, it's just that the opportunity to harass Eusine is too good to pass up.

"What are you looking for?" Morty peers around the tall pillar that they've run to. An empty courtyard lies before them, barren and ominous.

"I thought I heard something over here," his best friend mutters in reply, his nostrils flare as if it helps him seek out Suicune.

Morty opens his mouth to comment when a sound from behind them jerks their attention to the main ruins. With a quick glance at each other, they scurry over to the damaged building rumored to hold Unown. The thought of getting a glimpse of such a rare pokemon is exciting to both of them.

The front entryway to the main ruins is marked by two high pillars that at one time, possibly, held a platform of some kind. But with the majority of that platform lost with the years, the pillars are left standing tall over large chunks of rubble and rock. Cracks and craters litter the stone floor, making it dangerous to wander on at night.

Both men circle around the outside and each hide behind a pillar, almost as if to ambush whatever it is making the noise. On Morty's right, Eusine initiates a countdown, dramatically mouthing the number and jerking his hand to the side. As soon as he hits one, both leap from their spots, hoping to surprise the pokemon and get a good glimpse at what's going on.

But instead, a flash of light partially blinds them. They cover their eyes, hit the ground, and roll away, thinking it's an attack. A light thud is heard and the light dissipates, allowing them to open their eyes just as a loud pop echoes around them. The charged air calms down and a breeze rustles the trees surrounding a nearby pond, a faint whisper of a song is heard on the wind, so faint it goes unnoticed by the two men.

"What the-" Eusine surveys the area before Morty beckons him over to a figure on the ground. "Is he dead?"

"_She_ is still breathing," Morty corrects, pulling his hand away from the girl's wrist before adjusting her to pick her up. A small whiff of pumpkin spice hits his nose, and he can't help but get lost for just a moment. He pulls himself out of it and addresses his best friend. "I don't know what happened, but we should get her to the hospital."

"I'll get Alakazam," Eusine agrees, although a bit begrudgingly. What if he missed Suicune?

"You'll have more chances," Morty grins before they're gone in a flash of light.

_**OoOoOoO**_

Morty and Eusine check the woman into the hospital, though a bit awkwardly due to not knowing anything about her or her circumstances. The nurse manages to work it out and get her with a doctor quick enough. Morty decides to wait for any news on her status, and Eusine resentfully sticks by his side. Disappointed by the lack of Suicune in his night, he's ready to turn in and start looking tomorrow.

"What brings you two here?" Jenny sidles up to them, her heels clicking on the shiny floors.

"A nut case," Eusine snickers, Morty casts him a scolding look. "What? _We_ don't even know what happened, and I don't know why we're still here!"

"We were at the Ruins of Alph on a Suicune trail when this girl just appeared out of nowhere," Morty explains calmly, he's still a bit put off by the popping noise and the way the air was so charged.

"I think it was just a teleporting accident, happens often enough," Eusine sniffs, clearly angry about the early end to his hunt.

"But you don't think so," Jenny points at Morty, her eyes holding his and searching for his thoughts.

"Not really," he speaks slowly and deliberately, right on the edge of launching into his theory.

"Uh, excuse me, Officer Jenny?" a doctor steps around the counter, looking particularly baffled.

"Yes?" she turns to him, her tone official.

"Could I have a quick word with you?" he prompts, gesturing towards his office.

"Is it about the girl?" Morty butts in. He really likes to be present in talks about people in his city, or those he's concerned about.

"Morty should really be present," Jenny pulls back her lips in a 'this isn't a suggestion' look.

"Alright then," the doctor eyes Eusine for a quick moment before leading the two to his office. Morty pushes his hands at Eusine telling him to wait in that spot, the latter doesn't look too pleased but settles in a chair with a magazine in hand.

"From the start, I knew that this case was a bit strange," the doctor, Dr. Mill, takes a seat at his cluttered desk and laces his fingers together. "Finding her in a flash of light sounded a lot like a teleportation accident, but when she woke up," he takes a deep breath as if he is still a bit shocked, "that's when it got even more peculiar."

"She's awake?" Morty leans forward with interest, and Jenny eyes him carefully.

"Yes, she's fine, except for the fact that she doesn't remember who she is," he continues worriedly.

"What do you mean?" Jenny furrows her brows. Morty jerks back in surprise.

"She gave us a false name and keeps telling us that she goes to some place named California Culinary Academy in a city named San Francisco."

"Could be from Unova," Jenny suggests with a shrug. "She's probably confused about where she is. She could have hit her head."

"Does she show signs of a concussion?" Morty presses further; Jenny and Dr. Mill weren't there, they wouldn't understand the situation.

"No, but she does show signs of shock," Mill provides with a tight smile.

"So what happens to her?" the gym leader racks his brain for the protocol for this type of situation.

"She gets treated, and I doubt that she's underage, so she gets released," Jenny supplies for the doctor.

"I see," he backs off gently. "Can I talk to her? You know, as the person that brought her here. She could have gotten hurt out there."

Dr. Mill and Jenny share a quick glance before the older man nods. "Sure, she should be more accustomed to her surroundings by now."

As he gets up to leave, Morty falls into step with Jenny, his gaze full of determination and pure innocence. "You really don't believe she's confused, do you?"

"No, but we can't be all suspicious and weird in front of him. He'd be concerned for her and wouldn't release her to us," she shakes her head. "What are you thinking?"

"I don't think she's forgotten anything," he states simply and beckons for Eusine to come along to meet the mysterious woman.

_**OoOoOoO**_

Dr. I-don't-believe-you-you're-crazy comes back with a cup of water and an announcement that there are people that want to see me. I'm sure it's Officer Jenny come to take me to the loony bin and the two guys that hold needles in a threatening manner to take make sure I don't lash out. I already feel awful enough with the strange looks the staff is giving me.

_I can't believe this is happening. I need to cook something._

"Sure," I agree to seeing them. I've never felt this panicked before. I know I didn't drink that much to really be here.

No matter how many times I pinch myself, it just proves that this is real and that pokemon are now real. Those Unown were real and were not lying. I need to calm myself down before I start to lose control, I don't need the staff thinking I'm on the edge _and_ dangerous.

Swinging my legs off the bed, I face the door just as it opens and, of course, in comes Officer Jenny, clicking away on her heels. Behind her, to my surprise, is Eusine, looking a bit annoyed and then, to my even greater surprise, Morty. The fan girl within me squeals until her head explodes and I try not to follow her lead. It's like my nerd dream come true.

"Hello," Jenny greets as the three pull up a chair in a sort of half circle around me. "What's your name?"

_I'm not a child,_ I bite my tongue and smile at her. "Well, _I_ know it's Layla, but Dr. Mill thinks otherwise."

"We're on your side here," Jenny reassures me and I believe her by the emotions emanating from her.

"Where am I?" I quickly glance around the circle.

Eusine looks curiously at me, as if I'm a specimen. I can feel his anger, so I try to distance myself from it to prevent any flare ups. Morty has this intense look that I can't hold, his interest and wish to know more is strong. I know I can trust what he says. Jenny is calm and reserved, she wants to get information and understand what is going on. I can tell her too.

"Ecruteak City," Eusine states and I stare at him blankly, it's still hard to swallow. "In Johto!"

"Eusine," Morty scolds his friend after I flinch away from his tone. I clench my fists to relax my mind.

"We're going to help you out, but you have to tell me what happened," Jenny catches my eye, but I roll my lips inward. It's just too weird, I would surely get into some sort of facility if I told her. I can see her analyzing my action and her gaze gets a bit sharper. I know I can trust her, but some things just shouldn't be told.

"Hey, Jenny, can we have a quick talk outside?" Morty suddenly speaks up, I turn to see him halfway out of his seat. I giggle a bit at his old outfit, I guess he hasn't yet gotten the idea that purple is a good color on him. Eusine frowns at me, and I shut up, glancing away innocently, at least his anger has died down.

Jenny and Morty leave us to our own devices, which is awkward because Eusine decides to just stare at me as if I've grown a third arm. I play the game with him, if only to get a better look at him; his blue-ish green eyes are really pretty, and I'm instantly jealous. His are almost like the sea while mine are just a forest green, which I like, but I wish they had a bit more depth like his.

"Where did you get your cape?" I break the awkward silence, and he glances over his shoulder at it.

"Celadon City over in Kanto," he answers, a bit surprised that I noticed his cape and cared about where he got it.

"I know where Celadon City is, I know where a lot of things are," I point out, aside from the shock of being transferred here so suddenly, this is my childhood dream.

"Then where are you _really_ from?" he crosses his arms, and I glance away from him. I guess that was the wrong thing to say, because his anger is back again.

Thankfully, Morty and Jenny return from their private little conversation, diffusing whatever argument that _could_ have happened. Morty looks like he just won the biggest battle of his life and Jenny is still steaming from whatever he did. I glance at my cup half filled with water and silently wait for someone to talk.

"Layla, I'll be stopping by for some questions tomorrow," Jenny informs me on her way out of the room.

"Stopping by where?" I glance up from my cup, but she's already out the door.

"My place," Morty grins warmly, and I frown, slowly setting my cup down on the tray. "I'm taking custody of you, if you will. You'll be staying with me while things get sorted out. I have a spare bedroom in my apartment that you can stay in. That is, if that's alright with you?"

I stare at Morty, I haven't even officially met him and he's already sticking his neck out for me. My next step would be being released with no place to go and no one to help me find a way back home. If I wasn't so confused and stressed out I would be bawling my eyes out on the ground.

"Of course it's alright with me!" I exclaim, allowing myself to throw my arms around him with joy, he smells like freshly washed sheets and autumn leaves. I hope _I_ don't stink... "Thank you so much, I'll pay you back somehow."

"Don't worry about it," he gives me a quick squeeze before stepping back and gesturing for us to leave. "Jenny is getting your paperwork done."

With more than just a hop in my step, I follow the two men down the corridor past all the nurses and Dr. Mill. I politely wave and thank them for their help before we're out the sliding doors and into the warm, crisp air of Ecruteak City. My eyes look up to see the moon high in the sky, casting a blue light across the bell tower and making it the most beautiful sight I've ever seen.

"Hello? Are you okay?" Eusine waves his hand in front of my face. I blink a few times in response.

"Sorry, I've never been here before," I avert my gaze, my cheeks flushing pink. "It's prettier than I expected."

"Glad Ecruteak doesn't disappoint," Morty chuckles before inserting his hands into his pockets and strolling down the street.

The walk back to the gym starts out awkward, and Morty and Eusine seem to have a mental conversation with each other. Their eyebrows lower and push together, their lips puff out, and their heads tilt has if they are verbally speaking. I push out their emotions to the best of my ability and busy myself by focusing on the city bathed in night light. It's a nice, cozy community around here. The houses are set close together, each with their own little lush lawn and flower garden.

"Layla," Eusine's voice pulls me from my investigation, I find him walking in step next to me with his hand out. "I thought I should properly introduce myself, since we all forgot our manners at the hospital. My name's Eusine, it's nice to meet you."

"Layla," I awkwardly repeat my name and shake his gloved hand, funny how he didn't seem so excited to see me at the hospital. I wonder if Morty said anything...

"We're here," Morty announces, unlocking the door to his gym.

I grin widely and hold back a squeal as the lights flicker on to reveal a black and dark purple battlefield standing before me. It's nothing like the game, it's more like the anime, but with the game's color scheme for Morty. The walls are a dark gray with white trim, I let out a snort at the humor in it.

"At least something has gotten a makeover..." I mutter with a quick glance at Morty's blue and yellow wardrobe.

I'm not hating on it, I find it absolutely adorable, but put his old outfit on his new design and it's kind of funny looking.

"What?" Morty glances at me over his shoulder, his eyes narrowed. Eusine, on the other hand, heard me clearly and is laughing in agreement.

"Nothing, I like the gym," I smile innocently.

He stares at us for a moment longer before pulling open a door on the left side of the gym revealing a flight of stairs. I forget the joke and quickly follow to see where it goes, this is a completely new concept for me. I've never heard of a gym having an upstairs that's a place to live and not just another battle field.

At the top of the steps, Morty opens a wooden door and leads me into an apartment that reminds me a bit of the one I share with Kate. I slip off the flats that I mysteriously woke up wearing, and tiptoe into the kitchen to the right of the entrance, almost as if something was pulling me in there. His appliances and such aren't the most showy, but it's really good for temporary living. I walk past the white finish fridge and study his stainless steel range and oven. I'm so stressed, this oven is seducing me into cooking the heartiest meal ever.

I force myself to move on to the rest of the kitchen, the green granite countertops remind me of autumn, the gray looks to be sprinkled with fall leaves of orange and light brown. The cabinets are a slightly faded mahogany and are hopefully full of spices, along with pots and pans for me to cook with. His island is small, a bit compact for me, but what can you do? I trace my finger across the countertop all the way around the kitchen until I reach the bar on the other side.

"Having fun?" Eusine snickers, I turn and glare at him.

"This is just better than my kitchen at home," I purse my lips before glancing at Morty. "I didn't mean to overstep."

"I'm not too concerned," he waves me off. "There are bar stools on the other side. Are you hungry? Thirsty?"

"No, thanks," I walk around to the other side of bar and relax on the middle seat. "So..."

"So, I want to know: how did you get here?" Morty and Eusine lean on the counter in front of me, their eyes following my movements.

"That's...complicated, you wouldn't believe me," I glance away, this is so confusing and weird. _How am I going to get home? Why am I here?_

"Why don't you try me?" Morty urges me politely, I can see that he cares, but the story is a little crazy.

_Come on, he's clearly concerned, just tell him,_ I encourage myself with a deep breath.

Surprisingly, the story tumbles from my mouth with ease, though my eyes dart all over the place with nerves. I leave out the Unown part; I don't feel comfortable telling them that much yet. Even to my ears, coming from a different dimension and them not being real, sounds psychotic. God, they must think I'm on something. I heard Mill saying that they suspect that I'm from a different part of the world here. They really aren't expecting my actual story.

"Really? That's what you're going with? We're the good guys! We're here to help you if you're really in trouble with something," Eusine snorts, a look of doubt deep on his face.

I flinch at the sting his words give me. I hate being ridiculed for something that's the truth, it just reminds me of the people back home. Making fun of me for feeling something they couldn't or for having my head in the clouds. The irritation and contempt practically pours from Eusine into me, feeding the energy to dangerous levels. I glance out the window over the stove and into the darkness of Ecruteak immersed in nighttime.

_Don't lose control, keep calm_, I chant to myself, squeezing the seat tight.

"I believe you," Morty clears his throat, I whip my head to the side to stare at him. He offers me warm smile and reaches forward to put a hand on my shoulder. "We both saw what happened. We don't know the extent except for you. The bathroom is down that hallway, the first door on the left. This must be a shock to you. Take your time, and then I'll show you to your room."

_Talk about caring,_ I hide my shock at how far he's taking this responsibility for me.

I half smile before following his directions, their quiet whispers bubbling behind me.

Flipping on the light, I step into a very neat and modern bathroom. I lock the door behind me and move to my right to look into the mirror. The counters are a plain marble, the walls are a light purple, something to expect from an apartment, but does Morty live here _all_ the time? That would be boring and so disappointing. Here I pictured all the gym leaders having large houses or somewhere else they lived when they wanted a vacation or got downtime. But maybe they don't get down time and are confined to their gym.

_Slow down, Layla,_ I stop my ramblings and take a glance down at myself.

I was very surprised when I woke up in the hospital and found myself wearing such nice clothing. Dark jeans, with the silver flats I took off earlier, and a nice over the shoulder light green shirt over a black tank top is not something I normally go to bed wearing. Very fashionable and something I would wear for a night out with Kate, but, also not something I would pick if I was going to be running around trying to save the world. I don't even remember owning these bits of clothing, not that I'm complaining. But what really piques my interest are the three pokeballs attached to my brown belt.

_I'm not even going to ask tonight, it's too much for me._

Splashing my face with cold water, I dry off with a towel and try to gather my mess of feels. Neither panicking nor crying is going to help, so I concentrate on what I was told. I'm here to help save the world from whatever is harming it. But what did they mean by my 'abilities'? How is being able to tell what someone is feeling going to save anything?

With a shake of my head, I step out of the bathroom and rejoin the boys, taking my spot at the stools. They finish their quiet conversation and give me polite smiles, I'm suddenly reminded why I hate awkward silences.

"We're going to talk more tomorrow," Eusine eyes me with curiosity, I shift uncomfortably under his gaze. "Goodnight."

"Night," I frown after him, he's such a weirdo.

"I'll show you to your room," Morty gestures for me to follow him back down the hall I just emerged from.

It's silent as he opens a door on his right, across from the bathroom, and leads me inside. He flips on the lights to reveal a medium sized room with a full sized bed, standard issue dresser and closet. It could use a lot of flare, but hey, I'm sure I'll have the time.

"I can get you some spare clothes to sleep in, and we can go shopping for stuff tomorrow. I just cleaned the sheets and pillows; Eusine stays here a lot," Morty speaks to me, his smooth voice comforting and trusting as I look around the room with wonder.

"Thank you for doing this," I half smile at him sheepishly.

"Don't worry about it, this must all be confusing. You need a place to stay and I want to help," he grins and I blush at how innocent he looks when he smiles like that. "I'll be right back."

He disappears down the hallway, leaving me to take in my new surroundings that will be my home for the next who knows how long.

In the left corner, from the door as a standing point, is a small closet that is empty as I take a peek. In the right corner, is a full size bed topped with purple covers and matching soft pillows. Across from the bed is a wooden dresser with a mirror attached to the top of it, with no decorations or anything.

Next to the bed, there's a window. Walking over to it, I stare out at Mt. Mortar looming in the distance. The sight is beautiful, and I force myself to look away to set the three pokeballs in the top drawer of the small bedside table. There's a small clock on top that reads 1:30 in large red numbers. Jeez, busy night.

"These will have to do for now," Morty returns suddenly, I bite back a yelp of surprise and turn to face him calmly. "These are some old clothes of mine, they're clean."

"I'm not too worried about you giving me nasty clothes," I joke to lighten the mood, he cracks a smile while setting the clothes on the end of the bed.

"It's my pokemon that you _should_ be worried about," he heads to the door and glances at me. "Get some rest, we'll talk more tomorrow."

"Night..." I mutter as the door clicks shut.

_He is so nice, I'm going to repay him somehow. Nobody just takes in some random girl they saved..._ I think to myself while changing into a pair of sweatpants and a large shirt with a Gengar on it.

_Cute,_ I chuckle at it before setting my other clothes on the dresser and turning off the light.

The bed is nice and soft as I relax under the warm blankets, my head falling comfortably on the fluffy pillows. My body is so tired from the events that I can't even form coherent thoughts as I drift off. All I know is: I'm safe, and I want answers.

* * *

**Just thought you guys might want to see Morty and Eusine, I didn't change Morty's outfit for his new one, everyone else has already upgraded to their new styles. Morty is just a little behind the times, he's so busy and stuff. Anyways, I thought it would be more realistic having Layla at the hospital in case it was a teleporting accident and there being a little bit of stuff with Jenny in there too. **

**Until next time!**


	3. Chapter 3

Morning light illuminating my eyelids pulls me out of a peaceful slumber. Inhaling sharply, I stretch my limbs out before peeling my eyes open to crane my neck and look at the alarm clock. It reads five to eleven, explaining the brightness warming up the room. With a disgruntled sigh, I hoist myself up and set my feet on the cold floor. My eyes travel around the room for just a moment, and my stomach drops with the realization that last night was not a dream.

Another sigh escapes my lips as I stand up and head to the bathroom right across from my room. After a quiet precautionary knock, I scurry in and ease the door shut behind me with the lock set firmly in place.

On the counter, to the right of the door, I spy a toothbrush with a tube of toothpaste and a new looking hairbrush waiting to be used. Morty is strangely prepared for moments when people are in need. It must come with the territory of being friends with Eusine.

I tiptoe back to my room, unsure if Morty is here or downstairs working in the gym, either way, I'm nervous in new surroundings and definitely shy. I'm not ready to talk to him yet and deal with an awkward conversation.

With yesterday's clothes as my only option, I slip them on and prowl around the room. I'm positive Eusine uses this room because it's much emptier and colder than when I first observed it last night. The walls are bare, no posters or picture frames, the nightstand and dresser void of any items that signify constant occupation. The abundance of dust almost everywhere also confirms my observations.

The closet, across from the bed, is just as empty upon sliding the door open. Peeking onto a high shelf, about forehead height, I spot a folded up mass of dark gray cloth. Letting my curiosity get the best of me, I pull the cloth down and unravel it to find it's a hooded sweatshirt; it's soft and still a little fresh smelling. I take off my shirt, leaving my tank top on and pull the sweatshirt over my head.

Satisfied with the new addition, I grab my pokeballs from the nightstand and slip them into the holders on my belt before migrating into the dining room and kitchen area.

Morty is at the kitchen bar reading the newspaper in his usual clothes, looking as though he's waiting for something. A shyness suddenly hits me before I make it to him. With his back to me, it lets me rethink my movements. I just met him, and now I'm living with a man I know nothing about, talk about a one night stand plot twist...

"Morning," he tilts his head back to greet me, forcing me to unfreeze and act as natural as I can.

"Morning," I say coolly and approach slowly.

"I left you some pancakes and bacon," he nods towards a plate sitting on the stove across from him. I see that he's eyeing me curiously. "Where did you find that?"

I smile, picking up the warm plate and sitting a seat away. "I found it in the closet, it's really comfy. I like it... is it yours? Do you want it back?"

"It's mine, but you can wear it," he smiles at me gently.

With a muttered thanks, I start digging into my food nervously. The only sound is the clinking of my fork against the plate and the rattle of the newspaper in his hand. Eventually, I find myself giggling, Morty glances at me from around the paper and I try to contain myself.

"This is really awkward."

I stop laughing and look at him, he has a smile on his face that tells me he knows just how awkward this is. Then we burst into a fit of more laughter, the kind that feels like a door is opening. Not like a cheesy door, just one that signals the breaking of the ice, and now it'll, hopefully, be less awkward.

Speaking of doors, the front door bursts open, and Eusine comes prancing in like he just got the best news in the world.

"Morning!" he practically sings, taking the seat in between Morty and me.

"Good morning," we greet at a quieter volume.

"So, Layla, how are you?" Eusine turns to me as I take a large bite of delicious pancake, my weakness.

"Good," I swallow enough food to answer clearly before taking a bite of bacon. "You?"

"Just dandy," he winks, taking a piece of my bacon and shoving it in his mouth. "What's on the schedule for today?"

"Don't eat my bacon," I glare at him before taking a pokeball from my hip. "I want to know who are in these pokeballs."

"How many do you have?" Morty leans forward to be seen past Eusine's right shoulder as the caped man stares at my food.

"Three," I answer, taking another bite of food, my eyes gaze pointedly at the knife a few feet away from me.

"We'll take a look, but at a price!" Eusine announces loudly before stealing my last two pieces of bacon in a flash.

"Jerk!" I glare after him as he rushes out of the apartment.

Morty laughs at our antics and waits patiently for me to finish up eating before taking me down to the gym. Not really to my surprise, the gym isn't as bright as the day outside. It's not ominous and dark, just dim. The shadowy floors give way to the battlefield where Eusine waits patiently after having eaten my delicious food. He still has that stupid smirk on his face.

"Have a go, then. Let's see who's hidden inside," Eusine claps his hands to hurry us up.

I open my mouth to reply when Morty puts a hand on my shoulder and shakes his head. "You'll only encourage him more and nobody wants to hear him talk."

"So how does this work?" I question, holding the little ball in my hand. It feels so surreal having it in my palm.

Morty puts his hand over mine, sending jolts up my arm and warming my face, to push a button on the ball. It instantly grows to a bigger size. I squeak in surprise at the sudden movement. Eusine snickers at me while Morty waits patiently for me to throw it.

"Wait, how do I know who's inside?" I pause mid throw and look up into his purple eyes, their shine drawing me in.

"It should just come to you," he answers with a shrug.

I glance down at the ball, ignoring Eusine's jabs to hurry up because he's "not getting any younger", and stare at it. Within seconds, a thought pops into my head and I know that a Blastoise is in here. Funny, I was training a Blastoise not too long ago...Unable to control my excitement, I chuck the ball halfway across the gym. It pops open, releasing a white light splashing onto the ground.

"Be sure to ca-" Morty starts, but I yelp and throw my hands up in the air, completely forgetting that the ball returns to the trainer after being thrown. Luckily, he reacts quickly and catches it right in front of my face. "It's not going to kill you."

"I know, I just...forgot," I state, sheepishly accepting the ball from his outstretched hand.

Turning to the middle of the stage, I stare at Blastoise as he stretches out his body and pops out his cannons to survey them. A large, uncontrollable smile finds its way to my lips as I stare at him in awe. He looks up to see me watching him curiously, like a specimen under a microscope, and stares at me the same way before barreling towards me at an alarmingly fast speed for a large turtle-like pokemon. Morty takes five steps back, while I instead brace myself for the impact, internally screaming like the fangirl I am. Is it weird that I'm excited to be run down by my own pokemon?

"Blast-oise!" he cries out joyfully, his strong arms lifting me up into the air.

A laugh escapes my lips as he nuzzles his soft, scaly head into my neck affectionately. My hands run along his shell, it's so surreal feeling the hardness of his back and his squishy stomach much like a turtle. I can feel blood surging under his thick scales on his arm, life just emanates from him with every breath.

A strange surge of emotion runs through me, my breath catches, and I tense up. Blastoise senses this and sets me down with a worried look.

_Chill out, you're fine, _I pat his stomach reassuringly.

"Come on, who are the others?" Eusine demands with a smile, he and Morty standing on the edge of the battlefield.

"Hold your horses," I snap at him playfully, tossing the other two pokeballs into the air. My brain picks up quickly on who's in there. "Pidgeot and Misdreavus."

Both pokemon stretch out as I concentrate on catching their pokeballs with great success. I stick my tongue out at Eusine when Pidgeot suddenly flies over to me and nuzzles his beak into my cheek. It's smooth surface gives way to silky, warm feathers. Blastoise gives him room to wrap his warm wings around me, I smile and admire his coat.

Misdreavus makes herself known by sitting on my shoulder, the coolness she gives off is surprising. She hums happily and puts her cheek to mine, her cool 'skin' feels really soft like fur, but I don't see indications of her having any. Either way I hug her gently before Eusine is suddenly marching over. Pidgeot playfully snaps his beak at the man, who in turn leaps to hide behind Morty in fear.

"Layla, watch your pokemon," he whines, but I just chuckle.

"Good boy," I pat Pidgeot's beak fondly, he chirps softly before doing the same to Morty. "Aww, he likes you."

"Debateable," Morty shrugs with a smile before taking real interest in Misdreavus, who seems to hover near him naturally. "Your pokemon are healthy, but it would be best to go to a Pokemon Center just to be sure. They seem to really like you."

"Someone has to..." Eusine mutters, Misdreavus floats over to him and blows a small Icy Wind in his face. His eyebrows, hair and cheeks freeze, making Morty and I clutch our sides in laughter. "Mmm! Not...f-funn-ny!"

"Good job," I smile at my pokemon as Eusine rubs his face to warm it up.

"Since your pokemon are so intent on being rude, how about a battle?" he gives me a taunting smile. He seems intent on putting me in my place.

_Uh oh,_ I think to myself as Morty tries to argue against the point.

"We'll be going to the center anyway. It's just for fun - promise," Eusine gives him an earnest smile. "She'll have to learn how to battle anyway. Think of it as her first lesson."

"Thanks, Eusine," I roll my eyes and return all my pokemon except Misdreavus. "I'll try."

"See?" Eusine gives Morty a smug look before trotting over to the other side of the battlefield.

"I'm going to help," Morty sighs at his best friend's tricks and takes a spot next to me on the opposite side of the field.

"We can do it," I encourage Misdreavus as she floats over my shoulder.

"Mis," she nods happily before taking a spot on the field.

"I'll help you out. Drowzee, let's go!" Eusine gives me a sneer and I glare at him.

"You are such a brat," I cross my arms over my chest, not that I'm complaining over the advantage.

"He knows," Morty mutters, and I shake my head. "But he is giving you an advantage, he could have let out Haunter."

"I'll start then!" Eusine announces suddenly with a dramatic sweep of his arm as if this was a show. "Drowzee, use Hypnosis!"

"Um, dodge it, Misdreavus!" I panic and call out the first thing that comes to mind.

"Try not to panic," Morty advises, I hear the smile in his voice and blush from embarrassment.

Drowzee makes a bunch of weird arm formations that begin to let out multicolored circles from around it. _I'm_ almost hypnotized by it, but manage to catch Misdreavus disappearing into thin air to dodge it. Without stopping, Drowzee spreads the circles throughout the gym, looking for my pokemon.

"Misdreavus can still attack," Morty tells me, his eyes sweeping the field as if he can see where my pokemon is hiding.

He probably can, he _is_ a ghost type specialist.

"Misdreavus, use Shadow Ball!" I call out, wondering where she is.

Suddenly, a dark orb comes out of nowhere and slams into Drowzee's face. The psychic type is thrown backwards and the hypnosis rings go away. I snicker at Eusine and he only wags his finger at me in a scolding manner. Morty snorts, shaking his head at me, telling me not to pay any attention to him.

"Two can play at that game," he coos. "Drowzee, show them what a Shadow Ball can do."

"Oh jeez," I wince, and watch as his pokemon charges up a large, dark purple orb by doing more weird gestures. "Counter it with Icy Wind!"

"Nice one," Morty commends me, I squish down the warm feeling it gives me.

But the counterattack is not as nice as he may have thought. As soon as the orb is discharged from Drowzee and is met with Icy Wind, it actually _grows_ in size and mixes in with the attack. My eyes widen and I try to shout for Misdreavus to move but the attack is too quick and she plummets towards the ground.

Without thinking, I dash onto the field, my eyes on her falling form, and hold out my arms to catch her. I almost trip, but I regain balance and catch her. She looks exhausted with scratch marks on her tiny body. She looks up at me with a grateful smile, it's so adorable. I clutch her closer to me.

"You did great," I encourage her. It may have been a bad battle, but good enough after just meeting, right?

"Ah, what a nice counter, but it wasn't strong enough," Eusine informs me, staying on his side of the field. I want to smack that smirk off his face.

"Gengar, Shadow Ball," Morty suddenly states.

His strongest pokemon appears near Misdreavus and me, giving us a curious look before shooting an orb at Drowzee. Unlike Misdreavus's, this orb explodes as it collides with the psychic type, forcing him backward once again but this time on a harsher scale. I can't help but smile, not because Morty is putting Eusine in his place so he doesn't hurt my feelings, but because Gengar is adorable.

His stubby legs stick out as he hovers in the air, along with his short arms too. It's body mass that makes up most of his height, it's what also makes his face so big and intimidating. The smile on his face almost seems like it's painted on, unwavering or changing, and his red eyes are large and alert. I don't know what about that description makes him cute aside from the stubby appendages, but he is.

"Nice one," I chuckle glancing at the downed pokemon.

Gengar gives me a nod before disappearing once again, Eusine huffs at his best friend, returning his Drowzee. I do the same with Misdreavus and turn to face them both, my emotions are a mess of excitement and joy. I may have lost, but I just participated in an actual battle!

"Now that that's over, let's go to the Pokemon Center," Eusine mutters, and I scoff at him.

"Aww, who's angry?" I pinch his cheeks mockingly, he playfully swats my hands away.

"Morty won't be able to save you _all_ the time, keep your eyes open," he threatens though there is a hint of a smile on his face.

"Oh, I have to go talk to Jenny too," I remind them, ignoring his jab, as the thought pops into my head.

"We can stop there on the way back," Morty nods, heading towards the door.

Without another word, Eusine and I follow him out into the beautiful day in Ecruteak. The sun is shining, and large, fluffy clouds roll lazily across the sky. Unlike last night, the city is more lively. People in small masses are walking around getting to work or running some daily errands, they smile and wave at Morty as we pass by.

The walk to the Pokemon Center isn't far, probably for gym challengers' benefit. It's just a few turns and down the street. My eyes spot the red roofed building as it gleams in the sunlight, a beacon for trainers needing rest. There's a strange swirl of emotion in my chest as it's further verification this is all real.

Eusine keeps an eye on me as we enter through the sliding door entryway. Immediately, the sounds of pokemon and trainers alike hit my ears and I'm living the dream right here in a pokemon center. My heart warms at the sight of pokemon frolicking and trainers comparing their badge or ribbon cases. This is so much better than being at home.

"What can I do for you?" Joy questions as we approach the counter.

"Uh," I stammer unsurely, Eusine comes to my rescue with a clear of his throat.

"Our pokemon just need to be looked at, thank you," he sets his pokeballs on a tray and gestures for me to fill in the last three openings.

"Thanks," I tell Joy as she disappears into the back of the center. "This is so cool!"

"You are like a little kid seeing pokemon for the first time," Eusine squeals as I watch trainers brush their pokemon at seats a few feet away.

"It _is_ the first time I'm seeing pokemon," I remind him, taking a seat on the couch, they plop down on either side of me. "Don't rain on my parade."

"I'll try not to, but when your face looks like that, it's hard not to," Eusine snickers as I eye a trainer trying to handle her Aipom.

"I can't help it," I pout, glancing at the both of them before staring at the TV mounted on the wall.

Within moments, Joy returns with our pokemon all healed up, a smile on her face, and a Chansey right beside her. I eye the pokemon with wonder before calming down to accept my pokeballs. Eusine gives me a playful shove before we exit the center with one last goodbye to Joy.

"She's so nice," I comment, letting Misdreavus out of her ball. I feel as though having a pokemon around me constantly will help me transition here. Then I remember where we're heading next and get nervous. "Should I be worried that Jenny wants me behind bars?"

"No, she just wants to hear what you have to say to have it on record," Morty explains, taking us in the direction of the station.

_**OoOoOoO**_

Jenny's questions seemed a bit much for me, but they were all sensible, and I answered them as best as I could. After a while, her intimidation died down, and I relaxed and found it easier to answer questions truthfully. In the end, I'm set free from an hour and half of questioning and daylight has never seemed so nice.

"Where are we going now?" I question. I may not know my way around Ecruteak that well, but I can guess that this isn't the way back to the gym.

"Don't you want to buy some things for your stay here?" Morty answers with raised eyebrows. "The pokemart is right around the corner. I figure it'd be easier for you to pick out your own stuff than me doing it for you."

"Okay, I get it," I turn a light shade of red thinking of Morty buying me feminine things.

Just as Morty stated, the pokemart glows in the late afternoon light by itself a little ways away from wooden houses. In the distance, Mt. Mortar looms with clouds circling its peak mysteriously. Eusine holds the door open for me, I start to go in, but pause and look between the two.

"What?" Eusine questions indignantly.

"Do you two really want to shop with me?" I raise one brow at them with a giddy grin.

"Why not?" he seems thoroughly confused by this. Morty, on the other hand, begins to dig in his pocket rather quickly.

"Well, I came here without clothes," I gesture to myself, speaking carefully as if he doesn't understand me. "So, I have to get basic clothing like-"

"Nope, I get it now!" he throws his hands up and walks away from the doors. "Have fun."

"Here, this should be enough," Morty hands me a wad of bills. "Take your time."

"Thanks, Morty," I beam at him before dashing in.

Though it's bigger than in the games, the pokemart has the basic layout of the game counterpart. With a much wider range of items, it's not only for pokemon trainers, but also akin to a general store. The cashiers greet me with big smiles as I wander by, heading straight to the panties and bras. I go for the deals on the cheap stuff, despite the temptation to embarrass Eusine by buying some lacy, sexy looking lingerie.

From there, I head to the health and beauty department to grab some shampoo, conditioner, body soap, razors, and other toiletries. By the time I'm done, a half hour has passed and there is no line at the front. I set my pile of stuff down and glance around nervously, I hope the boys didn't ditch me. My eyes scan the windows until I find them facing away from me, casually talking like best friends.

I pay the cashier, grab my three bags and head out into the cool air towards the two still chatting it up.

"Here you go," I pass Morty the change, he accepts the coins, but hands me the bills.

"Keep it, you never know when you might see something you like," he winks at me, making me blush.

"Thanks," I pocket the cash and glance away to calm myself.

"So, Champ, did you end up buying something real nice?" Eusine puts an arm around my shoulder and gives me a suggestive, yet joking, look.

"Maybe," I lower my voice and bump my hip with his. "There was real nice smelling shampoo."  
"Uh huh, what color are they?" Eusine rolls his eyes and tries to peek into my bag.

"Eusine," Morty scolds him and separates us.

"What? She has to pay you back somehow, bro," he snickers only to get kicked in the shin by me. "Ow! I was just _kidding_!"

"A little inappropriate for a girl you just met," I glare at him as Morty tries to hide his laughter. "I'm glad it's him I'm staying with and not you."

"I was kidding, I know you're not here for that," Eusine rubs his leg sorely. "I did not deserve that kick, though."

"Yes, you did," Morty snickers, ushering me forward to prevent any further arguments. "You'll apologize too."

"Fine," he sighs and steps in front us before taking my hand and holding it between his with an earnest look on his face. "I was just kidding, Layla, I know that you respect Morty and I shouldn't have embarrassed you like that. I'm sorry."

"Wow, you had me fooled there," I take my hand back, of course, I can sense the nervousness he's feeling and the bit of remorse for possibly crossing a line. It's just who am I to prevent Eusine from learning his lesson and putting _him_ in his place? It'd do him no good to be soft on him. "I actually thought you felt bad."

"But I do!" he stomps his foot as I walk around him and turn to wait for Morty to lead the way home, he turns to Morty for help but the gym leader, who has probably caught on, just shrugs his shoulders.

"How about we talk about it over dinner?" Morty suggests, shoving his hands in his pockets and strolling by.

"Layla! Please, don't be mad!" Eusine practically throws himself at me, and he starts to paw at my bags. "Here, let me carry these. I care!"

As soon as the bags are out of my hands, I grab Eusine and hug him. "I forgive you, thanks for carrying my bags."

With a laugh, I trot ahead to keep in pace with Morty, who's grinning appreciatively at my methods. Eusine huffs and stomps all the way to the gym behind us, muttering under his breath something about 'women being too good at mind games' and how he's the magician and it should have been me tricked. It's adorable.

Morty sets to making dinner and we get to know each other much better. Eusine is like the brother I've always wanted. His sassy, and kind of mean, demeanor earlier is just the way he gets his affection across. We're kind of like two peas in a pod, we constantly bicker over dinner, much to Morty's chagrin, but it feels almost natural, and I thoroughly enjoy it all.

Morty was as calm as ever, he listened whenever I talked and even had a bit of sass of his own. He's very easy to talk to and is very good at keeping conversations going with interesting topics. Though he mostly had to end little squabbles between Eusine and me. I'm definitely more comfortable with him now.

But with the day winding down, it gives my brain time to latch on to the worry about why I'm here. What am I supposed to be doing? How am I going to be helping these guys? I wish I had more of an idea of my purpose here. I'm more nervous about me getting attached to living here, and then I'll have to go home.

_ Baby steps,_ I calm myself as I get ready for bed. _One thing at a time._

* * *

**So, Layla had her first day in the pokemon dimension, her first battle and some awkward shopping bonding time with Eusine and Morty. Action will be starting soon, next chapter, and we're going to dive into the mystery of this whole thing. Because that has _definitely_ changed and gotten much more complicated. I'll leave you all with that :)**

**Until next time!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Note at the top to give you a few heads up :) You're going to see these markings '_OoO'_ just like that and it means a POV change, it's just a short ****excerpt but I thought I'd let you know. Layla has this thing where she wants to cook whenever she gets stressed, like how some people write, draw, etc... For her, it's cooking, nothing always too fancy, sometimes just regular snacks dressed up. **

**That should be it, so enjoy!**

* * *

It didn't take too long to get used to my new lifestyle in the pokemon world. Having one of my pokemon, Misdreavus, out with me definitely helped the transition. Morty's Gengar made more appearances to study me as I moved about the apartment or gym. It's weird, but I don't mind because I did the same with him.

A few weeks have flown by, and there has been no word from the Unown or suspicious activity, even though I don't know what the activity would be; which worries me because I can't stay here forever. If I get too attached, leaving will be that much harder...

The only partial good thing that is coming from this is my warming up to Morty and Eusine. It's a good thing, so living with Morty isn't painfully awkward, and Eusine is forced to be much nicer with me. I have yet to get my hands on Morty's kitchen, despite him being gone for most of the day, because to me, a kitchen is a kind of personal space. When I was little, each gym leader was a sort of role model. Even though Morty may be my age or even a bit older, I still have a high level of respect for him.

But I'm going to go crazy with the lack of stress relief.

_**OoOoOoO**_

"Layla, what's wrong?" Eusine bursts into the apartment, cheery on a Saturday morning as usual.

I can hear the faint sounds of a battle going on in the gym below us from the open door. I think of Morty and how different he would look in a battle. I could see him being intimidating, or maybe even laid back; it's hard to tell with him. I brush away those thoughts in favor of answering Eusine.

It took a lot of convincing for me to just dive into cooking in the kitchen and then make it completely spotless by the time Morty has finished. That way, he wouldn't know, and I would be stress free!

"Nothing's wrong, I just cook when I get stressed," my answer is automatic. It's what I go to when there's trouble.

"Is that so? Is it any good?" Eusine mumbles the last part to himself, whether he wanted me to hear or not is the real question.

His seafoam green eyes glaze over the assortment of sandwiches with utmost interest and hunger. I watch him warily. I spent at least two hours trying to get those sandwiches to look good, intending to bring them downstairs, but I became too embarrassed and chose to eat them instead. I don't want rumors to go around the gym that I did it for Morty when I wanted to relieve some stress. Or that's what I've been trying to convince myself of.

"These look tasty, did you make them yourself?" he inquires with a raise of an eyebrow, lifting up an egg salad sandwich. The bread has been lightly toasted and the vibrant colors of the egg salad are inviting.

"I just answered that," I point out, watching him as he takes a generous bite, only to hum in approvement and take more bites. "Is it good?"

"Good?" he repeats incredulously, some crumbs escape his mouth. "It's delicious!"

"Oh, good. Thanks," I relax and return to my reading.

"You should make some more and bring them downstairs. It's a bit hot down there, and I'm sure they're all hungry," Eusine picks up another sandwich and viciously bites into it. "Some... drinks too would be good."

"What am I? A restaurant?" I demand, glancing up from my magazine to glare at him.

"Come on, they have to taste this!" he points to the platter vigorously. "I'll help you out, but they need a taste."

"...Fine."

_**OoOoOoO**_

"Oh Morty! Guess what we did!" Eusine practically sings, bursting from the stairs with the two sandwich platters in hand. I meekly follow behind him with a pitcher of refreshing pecha juice and cups in hand.

"I didn't know you could make sustenance, Eusine," Morty jokes lightly, wiping a bit of sweat from his brow. I set down the pitcher and cups at a small table and pour him a cup as he approaches. "Thanks."

"No problem," I reply sheepishly.

"Try this!" Eusine shoves a sandwich in Morty's face before further conversation can be accomplished.

Morty examines the sandwich with interest, his purple eyes roaming over what I had just made. Soft white bread holds together a light layer of mayo, cheddar cheese, and a few pieces of leftover steak from earlier this week reheated with some other spices and a blanket of lettuce on top. Sandwiches may not be the most divine meal, especially with limited ingredients, but I like to put in the effort to make it an adventure.

I watch with clammy hands as Morty takes a large bite. He washes it down fast with the ice cold pecha juice.

"Who made these?" he asks in awe, despite staring at me.

"Our girl, Layla," Eusine wraps an arm around my shoulders, a bashful smile plays on my lips.

"These ar-"

"Amazing!" other gym trainers exclaim, digging into the sandwiches.

"Thanks," I blush deeply, a big smile on my face. It's always a relief when someone enjoys the food you make.

"I had no idea you had it in you," Morty grins at me slyly, taking another generous bite.

"I wanted to ask if it would be okay for me to cook meals and stuff for you. You know, as payment for taking care of me," I add the last part hastily, a blush still warming my face.

"Well, I don't see a problem with it," Morty starts with a chuckle, but stops once Gengar materializes right by the platter.

I watch in fascination as Gengar picks up a sandwich, sniffs at the sugar glazed berries inside, and then stuffs it into his mouth. I tilt my head in wonder, how is he going to react to my food? To my surprise, a light blush dusts his purple cheeks and he finds himself another sandwich before eating that too. With an airy sigh, Gengar becomes enveloped with happiness and does a dance around my legs.

"You're so cute!" I squeal, dropping to my knees and throwing my arms around Gengar's soft, cool body.

Gengar allows me to touch him and even pats my arm happily, he feels so cold to the touch. His big eyes stare at me as I pull away and pet the top of his head. Once you get past the creepy smile and scary eyes, he's not that bad. I hit a spot right under his left ear and scratch softly, making him hum and float in enjoyment.

"You're such a teddy bear," I snicker at him, he seems to regain enough of his sense and pride to disappear from my sight.

"Morty!" a voice belonging to a young teenage boy shouts breathlessly, a cold sensation runs down my spine.

"What is it?" Morty addresses him calmly, though I feel a small sense of dread from the sight of fear on his face.

"S-Something... is attack-king the city!" he gasps out before accepting a cup handed to him from a gym trainer. "Houses are being set on fire!"

A chorus of 'What?' rings throughout the gym, I freeze and begin to wonder if maybe this is why I'm here. I find myself staring towards the door. Something is pulling me towards it, an invisible force. Morty and Eusine are the first to the door. I get up and go after them, my heart is racing and my mind is whirling. It has to be in response to this all, but do I tell them?

The teen leads us up a short hill, the sky is slowly filling with black smoke and the cries of terrified people ring in the air. I smell burning wood and try not to think about anyone who could be stuck in a house fire. I watch as people, some injured, some not, run around looking for safety.

Police cars speed through the streets, as well as ambulances. Officer Jenny flies by the group on her way towards the heart of the city. An explosion rings out, and then an ear piercing roar fills the air. My heart freezes at the sound.

I know that roar...

"It's Entei," Morty identifies the pokemon just as a large group of people run past them as if being chased by something.

"It's coming this way!"

"Watch out!"

I'm nearly pushed over by the stampede, but Morty grabs my arm and pulls me over to a lawn for safety. Nothing comes rushing down the street, though, but a house the next street over suddenly bursts into flames. I jump as part of the once beautiful porch collapses under the extreme heat. Eusine and the teen watch Morty, waiting for his word on something to do. Is it normal for gym leaders to make such important decisions? Morty's hand is gentle around my elbow even though he's fiercely frowning at the situation.

"We have to lure it out of here."

He finally lets go of me and begins to form a plan with Eusine. The young boy runs off for safety at the gym. I glance down the street, smoke rises from houses and gardens set ablaze by the swift moving pokemon. Without thinking about it, I pull out Blastoise's pokeball, and without a word from the boys, tell my pokemon to put out the fires. He happily obliges and, with the right amount of pressure, begins to quell the flames.

"We've got to find Jenny," Morty finalizes their plan, I catch his words and rush over.

"I want to help," I speak up firmly, Eusine gives me a doubtful look while Morty's look is much more gentle.

They don't think I can help. They think I'm not strong enough...

"You should stay here. Your pokemon haven't gone through much training lately," Morty speaks before Eusine can.

"It's safer," Eusine adds in, and before I can argue, they leave.

"Safer?" I stomp my foot angrily on the ground, "What am I? 17? I'm not a kid..."

Blastoise senses my anger and lumbers over to try and comfort me. I reach up to pat his head. Morty's words are true. Instead of spending time training my pokemon to make them stronger, I mainly just fed them and hung out with them like they were dogs or cats. A wave of guilt washes through me as I realize that this is no longer a game, my pokemon are no longer pixels. I'm a trainer now, and I have to act like it.

"I'm sorry, buddy," I murmur to my Blastoise. He looks a bit confused, but is then fueled by the determination on my face. "After today, I'll learn more about what a trainer is, and I'll spend more time with you guys, okay?"

"Blast!" he seems overjoyed at the idea.

"Maybe they're right," I continue, turning on my heel and walking with my pokemon down the street to more burning houses away from the danger and closer to the gym. "I don't want you getting hurt because of my stupidity."

I just can't get this weird feeling out of me. I stare at the ground intently, my stomach churns swiftly and my mind is buzzing. But what can I do?

Blastoise makes quick work of each house, many hug and thank me for taking the time to help out the firefighters. It makes me feel a bit better about helping out in a small way, but with the new explosions getting closer, my skin begins to tingle. It's like when you're in line for a rollercoaster and you're not sure whether you're excited or terrified.

Soon, people are barreling past me, trying to get away from the Entei chasing them. I return Blastoise to his ball just as the fire type barrels onto the street many yards away. It's burning red eyes find me, and it bares its teeth at me. My heart sinks, my stomach leaps, and my palms sweat as the pokemon tracks every step I take backwards.

Cursing myself into eternity, I turn on my heel and run as fast as I can in the opposite direction. I may have been sent here, but how do I defeat this pokemon? Just a minor detail that would be extremely helpful at a time like this. If I can't find it, the next best thing is to lure it away from here, right? Right.

Now, where is the nearest exit?

_**OoO**_

"There is no way we can keep up with this thing!" Eusine gulps for air desperately. "Jenny has it much easier!"

"But even she's struggling," Morty reminds his friend, both pant heavily as they try to keep up with the blurr called Entei.

It had finally made itself known near the pokemon center while letting out another mighty roar. Morty couldn't help but stare in awe at the legendary; its red eyes burning as hot as the flames spilling from its mouth. It took no notice of them and moved on past them. It seems intent on setting everything it sees on fire.

"Hey, you two!" Jenny pulls up next to them, a look of worry on her face.

"Y-eah-uh?" Eusine wipes sweat from his brow.

"I've got good news and bad news," she starts quickly, not giving them the chance to choose or really catch her words. "Good news: Entei has stopped attacking the city. Bad news: its chasing a 'girl with brown hair' through the streets. One of my guys just told me an-"

"It's Layla, isn't it?" Eusine doesn't really seem surprised by the girl's ability to attract danger despite only knowing her for a few weeks.

"I think so."

"We have to help her," Morty states firmly, his jaw set in determination.

_**OoO**_

Okay, maybe this was a bad idea...

My legs push me farther and farther down the street, my steps pound against the pavement heavily as I look for a way to go. Entei is somewhere behind me, and I'm sure he's just having fun toying with me. If I make it out of this alive, I'm going to work out more. My heart is pounding, I'm sweating, my breathing is ragged, and I've barely run for more than a few blocks.

Where am I going? I stop in the middle of a burning street, debris scattered along the ground in the form of burnt wood, splintered wood, and ash. Black smoke floats into the air, every other breath obstructed by the fumes. I cough, waving my hand in front of my face to help get fresh air. This would be much better if I knew the way out!

An echoing roar forces me to start sprinting once again, but as I reach one end of the street, the roar comes again, closer this time. My heart pounds against my ribs while I viciously backtrack towards the safety of the middle. But my coordination rings true, and I topple back onto my butt just as Entei rears itself into view in front of me.

The burning sensation on my arms becomes the least of my worries as soon as my eyes meet its fiery red ones. Immediately, a searing pain slices through my skull and I feel as though a thick, inky substance is seeping through my mind. I watch as the pokemon watches me tremble and writhe on the ground before walking towards me. For each of its forward steps, I scoot back as far as I can go. The closer it gets, the thicker and worse the feeling in my mind seems to become, leaving the world spinning in and out of focus around me.

With its teeth bared, it closes the distance between us. Its fur bristles and waves of heat emanate from it. My earlier thoughts come back. This isn't a coincidence, this pokemon was looking for me, but why?

"Layla!" Morty shouts from somewhere behind me, footsteps get louder and louder, but I'm frozen under Entei's gaze.

Entei glances up past me before jerking its head toward the sky, creating a snake of flames to cut them off. Now it's only me and him within a burning circle, like it's some sort of action-adventure film. Except I don't feel like much of a hero about to dish the final blow. Instead, a numbness starts at my legs and twists up through my fingers and up my arms, smoke fills my lungs making it much harder to breathe. Flames lash out at me, burning my skin to uncomfortable temperatures, but my legs won't listen to my screams to run.

My heart plunges into my stomach as the pokemon bares its sharp fangs at me and hunches down as if it were hunting me. Blood surges through my body, pounding in my ears, blurring out the calls from behind me. I let out a scream as Entei leaps forward and lands above me. Falling onto my back, I stare up in terror, my brain is drawing a blank on what to do. Can I do anything at this point?

That's when something within me stirs somewhere. As if it's waking up and reacting to the rage in this pokemon's eyes...

Reach out to him... like before, a voice whispers to me, it sounds like the Unown again. Entei watches me carefully.

He wants me to help him, I realize he must be having an internal battle, and he needs my help.

My body begins to buzz like it was earlier, except at a higher frequency, almost as if the world were trembling around me. The inky dark feeling in his mind starts to release its grip on me. I feel suddenly stronger than I have before. I'm not sure if it's all in my head or if it's because I'm about to die, but I embrace it. It flows through my veins, bringing me courage.

Without thinking, my hands reach up and clutch his collar firmly, I twist out of the way of its mouth just as he moves in to grab me. My mind opens up and reaches out, just like my dream, and I sense the darkness that had a partial hold on him gradually dissipate. Then suddenly, Entei lifts me off the ground and starts to thrash about in confusion. I let go and hit the ground on my butt again, trembling all over and at the loss of energy.

Entei continues to lash out in a confused rage above me, so I crawl on my hands and knees to get away. I Ignore the burning torture of crawling over embers to get as close to the fire wall as I can stand. The wall seems to be reacting to the rage of Entei. The flames climb higher in the sky with each roar before dying down and snaking out in strange patterns around the outside. I can hear Morty and Eusine urging me to do something, but the roars are too loud to understand.

Suddenly, a heavy paw plows into my hip. Crying out in pain, I roll on the ground, stopping on my back. I try to scoot back, breathing heavily, and manage to only get my arm sliced by the pokemon's sharp claws. The ripping sound it makes is enough to make me puke. Blood spurts onto the pavement and my clothes. The hot pain from the cuts, falling on my butt, my hip, and the burns hits me like a brick. I let out an agonized howl and hit the ground again.

I finally lose control, and the energy swirling within me bursts out in some sort of unseeable wave. The flames around us quell, Entei looks as though something slapped it, and it swings its head violently side to side. It seems to make its mind clear up even more, and the pokemon runs off, disappearing from my view.

"Layla, stay with me," Morty's voice urges me as I clutch my arm in agony, he tries to look at it, but I bat his hands away with my bloody one. "You have to let us look at it."

"No, no...No..." I gasp and cry, clenching my bleeding arm, unable to breathe.

The world is spinning, and I'm suddenly so exhausted.

"Stay with me, you have to stay...with me..."

My head begins to ache and my vision starts to get blurry and dark, Morty turns my head to look at him. He looks as calm as ever. With the little energy I have left, I delve into his calm emotions. It's the last comforting thing I see and feel before the world tilts onto its side, and I'm out.

* * *

**When Entei swipes Layla on the hip, it's at an angle and she was far enough away for it _not_ to break her hip, I hope that makes sense. Now, I've never had stitches, so I did a lot of research for it (as well for her other injuries), but if I miss something please let me know. So she realizes that she can do something that, as far as she knows, no one else can't. So, kind of lots of stuff happening here and some more things to come later on. **

**Until next time!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Sorry for the late posting! It's getting to be finals and so I'll be busy the next two weeks and posting will be slow until summer. Moving on, you will be seeing the repercussions of Layla's actions and her feelings on that. This is also where you get to delve into her abilities more and how it affects her train of thought and actions. So then, enjoy!**

* * *

_You are getting stronger...good, but you need to be careful..._

I'm back to where the Unown had brought me earlier, but this has to be a dream instead of reality. For some reason, I can't move and I can't remember what brought me here. I just remember shouting, fire and pain. A lot of pain.

_Careful about what?_ I try to move about, but it's like I'm restrained to something.

_Your connection, too much communication and it will bring pain later... _their voices converge on me_. You must learn to control it._

_Connection? A connection to what? What do you mean? How am I supposed to learn?_

But the blank atmosphere swells, it feels like water rippling, guiding me outwards. I try to pull myself back to them, but something blocks me shoving me harder towards the surface.

_**OoOoOoO**_

"We left her alone for a little more than an hour..." Eusine's voice pierces through the ripples in a muffled tone as if I'd been underwater.

My brain is a groggy mess, I can't seem to catch onto any thoughts, and the room won't stop spinning. The smell of antiseptic seeps into my nostrils, a pungent odor reminiscent of a hospital. The addition of a beeping noise confirms the setting. But that's absurd, why would I be in a hospital?

"There's no way she went looking for trouble," Morty's voice replies quietly.

I'm grateful for the defense, but what was I doing? What happened?

The world stops spinning around me, and it gives me the chance to sleepily open my eyes. Everything appears blurry for just a few moments until I adjust to the lights and see a hospital room before me. The white, light brown, and tan theme is inescapable in a hospital wherever you are. Morty and Eusine stand up from their spots next to the window and come over to look at me. I stare at them, whatever happened, I must have blown it, because they look disheveled and sleep deprived.

Way to go, Layla, you were reckless and caused trouble... But what was I doing exactly?

"Layla?" Morty says my name, and I stare at him blankly.

His eyes search my face, his purple eyes...

Oh!

A sudden rush of memories whirl around in my head, and I remember serving food in the gym, the young boy and then...Entei. That's right! Oh, that's right, he was attacking the city and then he was chasing me. What was I thinking? I didn't have Blastoise out and ready to battle. But I remember that my gut was telling me that I could do something to fix it, and there was the buzzing too.

"Layla," Eusine states my name a little louder, I try to sit up before I wince at the pain in my right arm.

Glancing down I use my left hand, being careful of the needle in me, to pull back the blanket to investigate. I flinch at the bandage wrapped just past my elbow on my upper arm to part of my forearm. My mistake was a stupid one, I should have battled Entei, but like Morty and Eusine said, I haven't been training my pokemon.

"Lay-"

"Can I be alone?" I rasp, interrupting Eusine's snap. I feel the familiar burn in my eyes and there's no way I'm going to cry in front of them. "I mean, I just need a moment...please."

"Wha-"

"Sure," Morty interrupts his best friend, ushering the purple clad man towards the door, his eyes on me.

I bite my lip to keep calm until the door shuts behind them, then the tears burst from my eyes in large streams. There's a tissue box next to my bed, and I fumble to get a few tissues out to clean my face. You can't find a bigger idiot than me. I shouldn't have done it, I should have waited for Eusine and Morty to handle it.

But could they? What I did to Entei... would there have been an alternate way?

Either way I feel like crap for doing something reckless and getting myself put in here to add to Morty's trouble. And on top of all that, I'm not going to be handy to do anything around the house with these stitches in. I can never do anything right...

"Layla?" a female voice knocks at the door.

"C-come in," I clear my face and take a deep breath, I feel winded from simply crying, squashing down my pity to at least do good for something.

An older woman strolls in peppily with a cup of water and some pills, neither Morty nor Eusine come trailing in after her. Good, I don't think I can face them after what I did, I feel good about helping end the attack, but not without consequence. I'm handed the cup, and I quickly take the pills. I'm ready for these aches and burns to go away at any moment.

"How're you feeling?" the woman, Barbara as it states on her name tag, wonders politely. Her brown eyes are bright, and her short brown hair makes her face seem softer.

"Sore, but pretty good, otherwise," I smile back, my throat feels better after some cold water.

"How are you really feeling?" she touches my hand, my eyes must be a bit puffy.

"Like crap, but it'll be okay," I tell myself mostly.

"They were real worried about you, you know," Barbara grins at me, she then turns to checking the monitors and such. "Especially Morty's friend, he was panicking until Morty put him straight."

"Huh..." I state shocked and glance down at my hands. There are a few gauze strips here and there from when I crawled away from Entei, thrashing about and almost killing me...

Don't think about it...

"You'll be better in no time," Barbara pats my cheek gently before offering me a wet cloth to clean my face.

"Thank you," I whisper, nearly on the verge of more tears from her kindness.

"Don't mention it. Would you like them to come back in?" she stands at the closed door. "Your doctor will be here in a moment."

"Um, sure," I inhale nervously and wipe my face once more before setting the cloth on the table.

"Alrighty," she winks and disappears out the door.

I hear her murmur to the boys outside. The first one in is Eusine, looking worried, followed by Morty, a calm air about him. It makes me feel better that they aren't steamed about putting myself in danger, but it doesn't make facing them any easier. They take a spot on either side of my bed and I tighten my hands into fists, there's a dull ache in my right arm. Thank Barbara for the pain meds.

"Um...Thanks..." I break the silence, a blush reddens my face, and I stare at the blanket intently.

"For what?" Eusine questions, I see them glance at each other.

"I don't know... For bringing me here, not yelling at me for being stupid or something," I shrug and glance at the wall for a clock. "What time is it? How long have I been out?"

"It's been about a day and a half, it's just past 3:30," Morty answers and then leans forward a bit, still in his old clothes I see... "Layla, we're not mad at you. Why would we be?"

"I just..." I try to explain, but a knock on the door stops me, and I glance up to see Dr. Mill waltzing in calmly. Now I'm worried.

"May I have a word with Layla?" he says with a smile. I'm even more worried.

"Sure," Morty nods at Eusine, exasperated by the constant coming and going, and they leave the room rather quickly.

"Hello, Layla," Dr. Mill greets me warmly, I manage to return the smile. "How is your arm feeling?"

"It was sore when I woke up, but now I can barely feel anything," I answer, sparing a glance at my arm.

"That's good, you can take off the bandages later tonight or tomorrow. The cuts weren't as bad as they could've been, you're a lucky woman," he smiles at me. "After that, your arm needs a light washing only, and don't do anything strenuous either. In around 5 to 10 days, maybe longer, your stitches can come out. Your nurse will go over the information once again before you leave."

"Good thing I was rolling away," I mutter under my breath, and he nods his head vigorously.

"The wound could have been much, much worse!" he states knowingly. " Also, the smoke did a little damage to your lungs. You'll have to take it slow for a few days until they clear up. I told Morty the other precautions as well, just in case you need help with anything you can't see."

Like I'm a child...

"I also don't want you thinking that it was a mistake that you made," he interrupts my thoughts with a gleam in his eye. Barbara must have betrayed me. "You saved many, many lives, and despite the consequences, you should be happy about that. Not everyone can do what you did. Now, we're going to get you some food in a bit, so you can be on your way."

"T-thanks," I manage a shaky smile. He pats my shoulder before walking out.

"Are you going to let us play nurse?" Eusine prances in, suddenly a different man.

"What? No, I can take care of it myself," I frown at him and try to sit up.

"Let me help you!" he rushes forward, setting his hand on my back to ease me up, I huff at him angrily. "It's okay if you need help, you know."

"I'm fine," I brush it off. "What happens now?"

"Jenny is on her way here to question you. A nurse is going to check up on you one more time before you're discharged, and then it's bed rest," Morty informs me, his eyes still boring into mine for answers.

"And remember, Jenny is on your side," Eusine wags a finger at me, and a giggle escapes my lips.

At least he's good for something.

Until Jenny comes in, the boys take to telling me about the damage to Ecruteak and the people injured. A nurse brings my food, I eat slowly while listening to their story. By the time we got word of Entei, around 10 houses were on fire, and by the time Entei was stopped it was at least 20. But not all were roaring flames, some were only partially burned. And thankfully, there were no deaths. Some severe injuries from the flames, but nothing that can't heal.

"At least something good came of this," I half smile at them. I feel much better after eating.

They've pulled up chairs on either side and are leaning forward on their arms. Morty's are laying parallel to each other as if he were having a normal discussion while Eusine props himself to hold his chin up. Despite feeling crappy for putting myself in danger, I feel comfortable sitting with them and talking.

"We were worried you lost your memory for a moment," Eusine comments lightly, his eyes tracing the bandages on my arm.

"I did, I couldn't remember why I was here or what happened," I admit quietly, the Unown's words dance around my head. I stop the words from flying out of my mouth with a bite of the tongue. Not yet.

"Do you remember now?" he presses further, I know what he's asking, if I know what I did to stop Entei.

The problem is, I don't even know what I did, and if I did, that would mean telling them everything after lying. Well, I'll tell them, but when I can get a hold of myself and berate the Unown for the reason of my presence here. My stomach churns at the thought of having to keep something from these two. They've been so hospitable, and I'm being rude...

"Knock, knock," Jenny clicks into the room, Eusine backs off, but his eyes still gauge my face.

"Hello," I turn to face her, eager to escape Eusine's gaze.

"How're you?" she questions, she lifts up her sunglasses to gaze at my arm, that's going to be a constant thing now, I see.

"I've been better."

"Just a few questions, and I'll be out of here," she nods in understanding and plants herself at the end of the bed with a notepad in hand.

"Okay," I clench the sheets nervously, my stomach twists, and my palms get sweaty.

"Did you notice anything strange about Entei?" she starts, her voice firm and formal.

I consider it for a moment, my brain's memories are a bit muddled and slowly come forward for me to see. When the memories do come forward, the terror I felt and the moment Entei's head was coming towards me flashes, and I shove it away quickly. My voice comes out slow and concentrated to cover up any fear I may have shown them.

"Besides the rage? No, not really... Unless its eyes don't normally glow red," I glance at the two beside me to see if that's a normal occurrence, I hope not.

"No, they don't," Eusine muses curiously.

"Were there any devices or anything attached to it?" she continues after jotting down stuff.

Entei's eyes flash across my mind. I can hear its growling in my ears despite it being perfectly quiet in the room. My heart rate suddenly picks up a bit, the machine starts to make a funny noise next to the bed, and I force myself to take a few calming breaths. The pokemon's neck and chest flash in my mind and I see nothing wrong.

"N-no, I d-didn't..." I stammer, suddenly I feel like crying.

Control yourself...

"Layla?" Morty touches my arm, I shake my head.

"I'm fine, I was just thinking," I stare up at Jenny. "There was nothing out of the ordinary about Entei except that it was particularly angry."

"Hmm... Okay, thanks," she puts away her notepad. "I didn't mean to upset you, either."

"It's fine, just shock," I reassure her, Morty retracts his hand, but I feel his gaze on me. "Sorry, I couldn't help."

"You did, a lot of people want to thank you, Layla," she grins at me, holding the door open. "You've already got some cards waiting for you at Morty's place."

"What?" I tilt my head in confusion.

"Don't ask me, ask them," she smiles before ducking out the door.

"What?" I repeat looking at the boys.

"I'll show you when you get back. You deserve to see it without me ruining the surprise," Morty explains with a smile, it makes me feel much better.

"All right, dear, do you want to try standing?" Barbara appears in the doorway, I nod at her eagerly. "I'll get the needle out, do you have a change of clothes?"

"What happened to mine?" I question innocently, my voice comes out shaky.

"They were covered in blood and burned in some places," Morty answers gently, but he pulls out a pair of clothes from a bag on the floor. "I found a tank top for you and sweatpants."

"Perfect!" Barbara grins before removing the needle from my arm and the rest of the equipment. "Do you need help?"

I lift my shoulders in a shrug. At this point, I just want to get out of here, everything is too depressing for me. My hip throbs as I swing my legs over the edge of the bed, Eusine stands at the end of the bed glancing away from the open back of the hospital gown. I hate these, this is embarrassing.

"Careful," Morty murmurs, holding out his hands for me as I set my feet on the ground.

"Thanks," I keep my gaze to the floor and slip my hands into his. He's a strong base for me to lean into as I stand on my feet, my injuries burn from the weight pushing into his hands. "Why does my hip hurt so much?"

"Moderate bruising, just short of being serious. Rest your leg, and do as minimal walking as you can," Barbara comes up behind me to hold the back of the gown closed as Morty walks me to the bathroom. "Any worse and you would need crutches."

"Thanks," I tell Morty quietly, giving him a firm nod as Barbara helps me into the bathroom to change.

I turn away from the mirror before I can get a good look at how bad these injuries look compared to how they feel. I'm like a child as Barbara helps me keep my balance and soothes me as I hiss in pain with movement while getting into my clothes. It takes a few minutes, but I manage to get into the sweatpants and then the green tank top. Morty had brought a new pair of sneakers for me, mine must have ripped or something. I sit on the toilet and allow Barbara to tie my shoes. She pulls my hair up into a loose bun and gets rid of the hospital gown before helping me walk out.

"I'll get you some information at the front desk to take home," Barbara excuses herself as the boys move to flank me.

"You okay?" Eusine wonders on my right.

"Yeah, my hip feels a bit sore, same with my arm," I shrug and begin walking towards the door.

"Did it directly hit you?" he continues on curiously. Morty offers his arm for me to lean on.

"No, I was crawling away a-and... it grazed me," I loop my left arm through his and try to keep calm, all the while avoiding detailed thoughts about what happened.

A thin stack of papers are handed to me from Barbara, Eusine takes hold of them and begins to read through it. It seems as though Eusine will be taking care of me over the next week or two. I turn down the offer to teleport back home in favor of walking, I'm already breaking the rules, but I need to see what happened to the city. Besides, the hospital isn't too far from the gym, and my limbs need the exercise to get rid of the soreness.

A thin mist of gloom covers Ecruteak, and the afternoon light doesn't make the situation any better. Some houses have small to medium spots of black char scattered about while others are destroyed. My heart sinks at the look of those houses. There's no way Entei would have randomly attacked a city, but who could have done this?

The smell of smoke hits my nose from the wind, and it's like my skin is heating up again in the fire circle. It's like I can feel the heat emanating from Entei all over again, what's wrong with me?

"Are you feeling okay?" Morty breaks my thoughts, glancing down pointedly at his arm where I'm clutching him for dear life, the vice like grip on me releases.

"Yeah, sorry, I'm just so...lost after sleeping for so long," I reply sheepishly, relaxing my hands from their tight grip.

"It'll get better," he advises gently, a sort of softness appears in his eyes I can't hold, does he really care that much?

I hope so...

Getting up the steps takes a little while for me. I'm so weak from sleeping for nearly two days and my hip doesn't like the movement. Eusine coaches me from the top of the stairs as Morty patiently escorts me up each step. Sitting at the bar, I huff to catch my breath and carefully place my right arm on the counter. I've never had stitches before. It feels strange to have a part of you sewed like a doll, how am I supposed to operate with them in? Morty and Eusine walk behind me to the living room and return with gifts.

"Whoa," I whisper, staring at them in awe.

Flower bouquets, stuffed poké dolls, and cards, homemade and store bought, are piled neatly on the counter. Eusine takes a seat on my left, separating the gifts before handing me a card. It's a homemade one from a little girl named Sasha, she drew me with a cape petting what looks to be Entei. On the inside, she wrote thank you in cursive letters with a big smiley face and a heart.

"Once everyone heard what you did, they started sending these. They're still coming," Eusine states airily, as if he couldn't believe it himself. "To the children, you're a new superhero and the adults say you're like a savior or something."

I open my mouth to say something, but the words are caught in my throat and my heart seizes with unknown emotion. Clutching the girl's card to my chest, I burst into silent tears, something about this just makes me so emotional. I carefully lift my right arm to wipe my tears when Eusine passes me a tissue.

"Why are you crying?" he laughs softly. "Are you happy?"

"I n-never would have thought that I could be something of a h-hero to someone," I stammer, cleaning my face and looking at more cards. I'm touched by each of them and the gifts.

"Isn't that usually how it happens?" Eusine muses, helping me sort through the cards and gifts.

His question floats in my mind and I think that it's partially true, those who don't think they're worthy sometimes are. But there are some people who want to be the hero, and it seems like they have to wait forever. I just think those who want to be the hero get to solve a problem that takes only them to solve.

"What are you guys hungry for?" Morty questions after a few minutes of sorting and reading.

"Comfort food," I mutter, smoothing some carnations a family sent me.

"Do you have anything specific in mind?" he raises a brow at me.

At once, I carefully slide off the stool and head straight to the fridge. I can tell they're keeping a close eye on me in case I'll fall over or something from the stoic silence. Ignoring them, I prowl around the fridge and then move over to the cupboards. I have one meal in mind, a comfort food I recently started making that is perfect at a time like this. Plus, it's easy enough for me to help make it.

"How about some breakfast?" I straighten up and glance back at them.

"Fine with me," Eusine shrugs, Morty moves to gather the ingredients, but I've already got them in hand.

"I want to help. It's a simple recipe, you can do all the heavy lifting and stuff," I reason with him as he prepares to argue.

"Okay," he sees the stressed look on my face and concedes.

With a squeal, I get to work. I limp over to the sink, wash my hands, and turn around to get to work. Morty takes the potatoes from me and starts to peel them while I chop up the onions and peppers. Eusine watches idly from the counter, his eyes darting between Morty and me. I can sense growing curiosity from him and his underlying anger. It makes me nervous and I nearly slip up in chopping the onion and peppers.

"I'll cut these," Morty holds the potatoes away from me as he finishes up with them.

"Fine," I huff, turning around to get a pan.

"Ah, ah, ah! I'll get it," Eusine leaps out of his seat and rushes over to get the pan himself.

"You'd think I broke my arm or something," I mutter under my breath, sprinkling oil into the pan. "Can I at least fry food?"

"I'll be supervising," Morty comments, cutting up the potatoes quickly and with skill like mine. I'm impressed.

The kitchen becomes warm and bacon scented within a few minutes. Mixing around the onions, peppers and bacon, I pour in the hash browns and turn down the heat to let them brown up. Morty stands at my side and takes over when I start to shift uncomfortably on my feet from the ache of standing too long.

"Last thing," I pull out some eggs from the fridge a few minutes later. Using a spatula, I scoop out a few holes for the eggs to sit in, I hold out an egg for Morty and we set to work cracking them, him with one hand and me with two. I cover the pan, and let it sit. Within minutes, the food is ready and my stomach is gurgling loudly. The hospital food was barely a meal compared to this.

"But I just have to know," Eusine suddenly blurts at the bar, Morty is across from us at the kitchen counter to get a better angle to talk with us.

I stare down at my plate of half eaten food, my chest starts to get an uneasy feeling surrounding the growing emotion in Eusine. He's preparing for something and having been just released from the hospital, I'm not sure this is going to be good.

"What?" I question, knowing what he must want to ask me.

"How did you stop Entei?" he questions just as I bring a forkful of goodness to my mouth.

I lower my left hand, awkwardly considering the fact that I'm a righty. "Oh... To tell the truth?"

"Of course," he snorts.

"I'm not completely sure," I tense up for the argument, the anger in his body heats up, reminding me of Entei.

"Really? So you were acting on instinct?" he tilts his head, now it's at the point where I can't tell if he's serious or being a jerk. I already miss nice Eusine. Morty shoots him a surprised look. "Because you looked like you knew what you were doing."

"Well, if something is throwing itself at you, reaching out to stop it is sort of an instinct," I reply back evenly and swallow some food, hoping it can get rid of the fire stabbing my stomach.

"But the way you looked, you were so calm after he stopped moving. It was like you two connected..."

Why did he have to describe the scene? It's already flying around in my head making my heart rate pick up. I can hear the growl slicing through the air and the heat hugging my skin uncomfortably. The feeling of its claws cutting my skin, the ripping sound... Whispers start to fill my head, quietly, like background noise. I bite my lip to get myself under control. Not here, not now.

"I wish I felt calm," I snicker nervously, trying to get him to leave it alone, the fork is slippery in my hand from the nervous sweat. I swear smoke is filling my lungs and making it harder to get a deep breath. "But I don't know what happened. I just sorta blanked out."

His anger spikes, I bite my lip harder to fight back against the the whispers, I can hear him thinking. I can hear Morty thinking too. It's been so long since this last happened, I don't know what to do. My brain starts to throb from all the noise, my hands are trembling, and I can't focus.

"You sure?" he presses further, and I'm close to the breaking point. Entei's eyes are staring at me. I hear Morty say something, but Eusine is already talking again, "What are you scared of? We're not going to get mad. It's just the scene was so intense, him diving down at you to deliver the final blow, and you just reach up an-"

"I don't know! Shut up!" I snap suddenly, the voices disappear, and it's like a weight lifting from my shoulders. Morty glances over at me, and Eusine drops his fork. The smoke disappears, but the pain is still fresh in my head, and my throat is dry. "Sorry...I-I..."

Words fail me yet again, and I feel like a total wreck. My brain is spazzing and my head hurts. Keeping my eyes averted, I pick up my dishes and dump my half eaten food in the garbage before rinsing them and leaving them in the sink. I push in my stool and mutter a goodnight to the both of them.

Once in the safety of my room, I'm free to let my tears fall without interruption. I understand that I just got out of the hospital, but it's not an excuse for me to go around snapping at people. I mean, sure, Eusine didn't have to press so hard, but it's not hard to tell him to stop talking. Guilt eats at my insides. More tears rush from my face as I try to gain control of my mind. Slowly and slowly the whispers start back up again. Breathing deeply, I force myself over to my bed and sit.

This will all be fixed in the morning, once I've rested. I lie down on my bed carefully, my hip angry at the movement and my stitches burning relentlessly.

The nurse told me that I didn't have to treat my stitches gingerly, but I don't know where that line stops and carelessness begins. So, for right now, I'm going to leave the bandage on and treat it as if it'll start pouring blood any second. Better safe than sorry anyways.

Tomorrow will be a better day...hopefully.

* * *

**I've never had stitches and I did a lot of research for it, so if anything is off or wrong, please let me know so I can learn it for future reference. She's treating it gingerly because, in all honesty, I would too if my skin had just been sewed together. I know a few people who get right back to work soon after stitches and, yeah, not everyone is like that. Let me know how I did!**

**Until next time!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Hey guys, I just got back from college for the summer! I'm happy to be home to work/write and prepare for next semester. So, anyways, Layla has shut herself away and things haven't been getting much better for her mentally. Morty and Eusine try to make it better for her. I won't give it away.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

_Rain pounds on the mud around me as I sprint though an ominous and looming forest. A never ending path stretches before me, leading deeper into the darkness. The rain starts to grow warmer and warmer in temperature. My skin begins to burn with each drop slapping my skin until the drops slowly morph into flames._

_I let out a scream before tripping over a log and landing in the embers of a fallen tree. I feel nothing, and yet another scream erupts from my throat at the same time as a roar. _

_Twisting around to look behind me, a four legged shadowy figure steps away from the shadows and into my view. I have no time to react as the creature lunges at me, my screams become lost in the ensuing darkness..._

Sitting up in my bed, it takes a few moments for the flames and forest to disappear from my vision. My heart pounds against my ribcage, trying to get out and away from my nightmare. Clutching my chest, I force my labored breaths back into a slower rhythm, my breathing has been clearing up the past few days, but it's still a bit difficult at times. Small beads of sweat slide down the sides of my face as if I'd just gone for a run.

I wipe them away and get out of bed; this isn't the first time this has happened. It's been a few days since I woke up and a few days more since the attack, and I have yet to get a hold of myself. Thankfully, I haven't had any outbursts of energy since then. In fact, the energy that's usually swirling around within me has significantly decreased since the attack. Very peculiar.

Walking to the door, I pause just before it to hear any sounds of conscious life on the other side. A glance back at the clock on the nightstand confirms the early morning status of three across the front. Morty has got to be in deep sleep as well as his pokemon. It should be safe to head out and eat ice cream in the kitchen... again.

The hall is quiet and moonlit by my open bedroom door. It's become a familiar sight to me. I don't need the bathroom light to guide me anymore. I flip on the kitchen light and cover my eyes until they adjust to the lighting. Grabbing a spoon and ice cream from the freezer, I take a seat at the bar and take a few deep breaths to relax. I swear, ice cream can answer almost any problem, especially ice cream made from Moomoo milk. When the game said that stuff was delicious, it wasn't kidding. It's so sweet and filling... I can't even explain it. I love it.

Digging into the ice cream, I think about how much I've gone downhill in the past few days. Eusine hasn't been back since I snapped at him, and I feel horrible for it. I've locked myself up in my room as punishment. On occasion, I come out to talk with Morty, eat food, and get something to drink. I tried cooking the other day only to burn myself because my right arm can't bend much. Since then, I've been even more frustrated and too scared to talk with anybody for fear of snapping at them or losing control.

"Layla?" Morty's sudden appearance behind me sends me into a frenzy.

I drop the ice cream container and spoon with a loud yelp. My breathing picks up and I clutch my chest to calm down, he rushes to my side to help me relax. He rubs his hand on my upper back and apologizes profusely. The warmth from his touch actually soothes me. I feel embarrassed and angry at my reaction. I've barely seen him at all this week, and it's on my own accord.

"No...No, it's okay," I huff, my heart slowly goes back to normal, and I reach for a napkin to clean up the mess I made. "I wasn't expecting you, I'm sorry."

"No, I should have known that there was something bugging you," he helps me get the ice cream cleaned off the countertop. "I wanted to talk with you about it."

"O-okay?" I set my hands in my lap nervously, he sits next to me and faces me with an open expression. His eyes are gentle, and his lips are neutral, not turned up or down, and his arms aren't crossed in a strict manner. They're laying in a relaxed position on the counter.

"I know that we're all still trying to get used to each other, and we just met, but we're here for you. We're not counting down the days until you leave, you're here, and you're our friend," he smiles charmingly at that, "Yes, you're our friend, and we care about you."

I let out a giggle at this. He's completely right. "I know..."

"Not done," he says politely. "If something is bugging you, you're not alone. You can tell us, and if it's difficult for you, we'll wait. It's okay. I think we're past the point of being strangers and acquaintances. Entei was _looking_ for you, and as your friends, we're not going to leave you undefended."

"I-"

"And," he drags out the word raising his eyebrows. "You're not in trouble about the Eusine thing, you're not a little kid. He deserved it. He was trying to help in his own weird way. He cares, I promise."

"Now are you done?" I question with a grin, he gestures for me to start speaking, and I giggle. "I know, not only am I stuck with you two, but you're stuck with me. I just don't know what's going on. Obviously this isn't an everyday sort of thing for me. It's just thinking about it scares the crap out of me... I want to talk to you guys, I really do, but not now. Maybe when whatever's wrong with me is gone, which I hope it will be gone soon."

"We understand, we're here for you."

His words are true and the part about Eusine makes sense. Barbara did say that he was panicking until Morty calmed him down, _and_ they were both waiting in the hospital room with me. I've been so wrapped up about not bugging them that I haven't seen that they _want_ to know what's going on. Despite knowing them for only a week or so, we were introduced in the weirdest way. And friendship is about experiences, not how long I've known them...

"And there's nothing wrong with you," he puts a hand on my shoulder, I glance up at him to see the look in his eyes are intense. "You're going to be fine, not everyone goes through life threatening experiences, and we get that it was terrifying for you. If you get freaked out by thinking about it, then don't think about it. You don't have to tell us until you want to. Eusine is right, we're on your side of whatever is going on."

"You guys...are the best," I let out a little sob and cover my face with my left hand.

Morty lets out a soft chuckle and pulls me in for a hug, I relax into his grip and wrap my right arm around his torso softly. He smells like soap with a hint of a soothing cologne or aftershave. Whatever it is, it sticks to me after he pulls away and gets my stuff in the fridge and offers to make some tea.

"How's your arm feeling?" he questions from the stove.

"It's a bit itchy, and cleaning it is gross," I glance at the black stitches on my arm, sometimes it bleeds for a few minutes, and then it's done. Apparently that's normal, according to Morty, but it scared the crap out of me. And cleaning off the crust is gross, but it's also a bit soothing to know that it's healing up.

"I imagine, but it's not swelling up badly, is it?" he faces me after getting the water going.

"Nope," I lean my head on my hand and gaze back at him. "How's cleanup going?"

"Much better than expected, it will take a while, but Ecruteak will survive," he grins as if relieved by the idea, which I'm sure he is. "People are still talking about you."

"It's been weird when they stop by, and the trainer's call me down to greet them," I admit. "They're so nice, and then they hand me things...it's weird."

"They're grateful," he chuckles and turns around to grab mugs. "But I understand what you mean."

He gets the tea ready. I don't drink much tea, but it actually smells pretty good and soothes my nerves. I accept the mug from Morty as he takes a seat beside me once more. Together, we drink in peace, no awkwardness or weird nerves, just two people enjoying tea.

"You should let Misdreavus sleep outside her ball. It's usually comforting to have a pokemon out with you. Plus, we have a big day tomorrow," Morty helps me off the stool, I loop my arm through his and lean against him tiredly.

"What are we doing?" I yawn groggily as we walk back to my room.

"It's a surprise, and hopefully Sunday we'll be doing something too, it depends on how you feel," he hints opening the door for me and helping me down on my bed like a gentleman.

I lay my stitched arm on a pillow and wrap up the rest of my body under the blanket as my eyes droop heavily. He finds Misdreavus's ball and lets her out. They share a secret conversation, I can see it in the way they glance at each other. She drifts over by my head and he walks to the door. Before shutting it, I hear him speak softly.

"Get some rest, see you in the morning."

I'm out before the door clicks shut behind him and a soothing warmth flows through my body.

_**OoOoOoO**_

Waking up this time is a soothing experience. My eyes drift open, and I feel at peace with myself; today is going to be a good day. Misdreavus rouses from her spot on the pillow and quickly floats up to watch me stand on my own. I chuckle at her watchful behavior before heaving myself to the mirror on the back of the door. Pushing down my pants, I stare at the yellowing bruise starting from the side of my left thigh twisting behind me up and around to my hip and lower back. It almost looks like a paw, but it distorts where I fell on it. There are still a few rough spots where it looks gross, discouraging me from ever wearing shorts again. A heavy, pained sigh releases from my lips.

It turns into a gasp when the door suddenly opens and Morty steps in.

"Are you okay? I heard yo- Sorry!" he sees me with my pants partially down and turns bright red.

Turning bright red myself, I pull up my pants as fast as I can. This is so embarrassing, why me? Misdreavus's giggles are heard even as she disappears through the floorboards, probably off to tell Gengar what happened. Oh joy.

"I t-thought you were hurt," Morty coughs, his face turned away from me. "I was coming to tell you something an-"

"It's okay, luck would have this happen to me," I cover my face and try my hardest to calm my pounding heart. "Just pretend it was a bathing suit or something...ugh, that makes it worse!"

He snorts awkwardly, half hiding behind the door and half not, I cross my arms and glare at the wall. It gets silent and I can't handle this much awkward after just waking up, clearing my throat I force myself to speak a bit louder than my heart slamming against my rib cage. I swear, anymore awkward moments and we'll be _really_ good friends in no time!

"So, um, you wanted to tell me something?" I squeak nervously, thankfully he's better at recovering than me.

"Oh, yes, yes," he doesn't look me in the eye directly. "Eusine and I discussed it already, but how do you feel about a trip to Olivine?"

"We're going to Olivine?" I gasp excitedly, I _love_ Olivine!

"Yeah, for the whole day," he relaxes against the door frame, happy to have directed the conversation elsewhere. "We thought you might like the sea air, plus there are a few stores where you can do a little shopping too. There wouldn't be a lot of walking, so it should be fine for your leg."

"Can I meet Jasmine?" I perk up at the thought of meeting her, she always seemed like a cool person.

"If you want to, yes, I'm sure she isn't too busy today," he shrugs, finally looking at me. His shoulders relax, and he looks truly worried, it catches me off guard. "_Are_ you hurt?"

"What? No," I go back to blushing again. "I-I was just looking at my bruise, it's...gross."

"It's not getting worse, is it?" his eyes flash down to the spot where my bruise lies.

"I don't think so, it's a greenish yellow for the most part, some parts are purple," I answer calmly, my hand rests lightly on my hip as if touching the bruise will tell me how it's healing. "I've never had a bruise this big, but I'm assuming it's going to behave like a small one would."

"Entei hit you hard, and it's a big pokemon," he relaxes once more, though he still watches my hip and thigh, a wave of warmth snakes around my body under his careful gaze.

"Yeah, I've got a huge paw mark to prove it," I scoff, crossing my arms once again. "Talk about embarrassing."  
"Not everyone can say they've been bruised by Entei."

"Yeah, I have Entei's pawprint on my ass, wanna see?" I pretend to shout at an invisible crowd.

"I doubt you would do that," he snickers, opening the door, allowing me to leave my room. "You shouldn't look at it if it makes you sad."

"Morty, it's not that easy," I turn back to stare at him, I understand his good intentions but not everything works that way. "The bruise may not be there forever, but right now it is, and I look at it to remind myself _not_ to be stupid again."

"You weren't stupid to begin with," he steps closer, his eyes suddenly becoming serious. "Don't be so hard on yourself, it was looking for you, and you were a block away from the exit of the city."

"Seriously? It was a block away?" I exclaim with a roll of my eyes, "Of course it was."

"You try so hard to carry the burden yourself-"

"Because I'm not a little kid, you and Eusine have stuff to do in your own lives-"

"That we're willing to put on hold to help you," he holds my shoulders softly. "You can't do everything alone. I couldn't fight Entei alone, I don't win gym battles alone, and Eusine doesn't always hunt for Suicune alone. It's okay to accept help. I know you're an adult, but sometimes adults need help too."

"Fine, okay, I get it," I mutter glancing down to the right, I hate this giddy feeling in my stomach and I hate that I trust him so much. Why? Because I'm holding stuff back from him, I don't even know what I'm doing here. He's helping a clueless girl get around the mystery of herself. "Let's not mention how you saw me half naked to Eusine at least."

"You weren't half naked," he droops his head sheepishly, pushing a draft of his sweet smell into my nose, I allow a little smile at the scent. "I only saw the bruise I swear."

"Oh yeah? What color underwear am I wearing?" I cross my arms and sink my head to try and catch his eye. His face turns an adorable shade of red as he releases his hold on me and looks into the bathroom across from my room, I glance in and see the purple walls. "Correct, you little sneak."

"It was an accident," he crosses his arms, despite the blush on my face, I grin at him widely.

"If you wanted to see it you could just ask."

Now I'm having way too much fun making Morty blush, I don't know if I'll ever see him like this again.

"I thought you were hurt," he reasons, though I can catch the hint of a smile. It sends my heart into a frenzy. "Get ready, I made you some breakfast."

With a few snickers, I disappear into the bathroom, once the door is closed behind me I release a silent sigh. That was way too embarrassing and awkward, I'm just glad he didn't look at me like I was a hunk of meat. He seemed genuinely concerned about my bruise and thoroughly embarrassed by seeing me in my underwear. Although I'm sure he enjoyed it, I don't feel too bad about it if he did. His gaze on my leg swirls around my mind as I get myself ready for the day.

A blush burns my cheeks at the possibilities my mind has no problem poring over and exploring. While changing into loose jeans, a cotton shirt, and sneakers, I force my minds to stop before I head into the kitchen for breakfast. Thoughts like these are dangerous in a situation like this.

"What do you read in there?" I peek over his shoulder curiously, sauntering around him with breakfast in hand, he glances at me and I turn away innocently.

"Words," he replies casually, I glare at him. "They form stories."

"About what?"

"The news."

"What news?"

"News in Johto, stuff that's happening."

"...Are you always sassy?" I chew some food and glare at him.

He smiles back at me as if the answer is obvious, "It just means I'm healthy."

"Or a jerk," I mutter under my breath, he playfully nudges my arm, careful to avoid my stitches.

"Eusine should be here soon so we can get going," he states, checking the clock on the wall.

I shift uncomfortably in my seat, flinching when I hit a sore spot, "Is he mad at me?"

"No, just worried," he replies to my relief. "He feels bad about what he did."

"_I_ feel bad too," I admit.

"Then there's nothing to worry about," he points out airily as if it's been obvious this whole time.

Instead of replying, I just smile to myself and eat my breakfast in silence. Morty's words dance in my head. Who would have thought that Morty would be so wise _and_ sassy in the same morning. The awkward moment has been completely pushed back out of my mind, I don't want Eusine hearing about it and then I never live it down.

The door opens slowly and in walks Eusine, a big, peppy, smile on his face and a skip in his step as per usual. He walks around the bar and stops on my left, grinning at me before pulling me into a hug. At first, I just sit there before maneuvering my arms to circle around him.

"Morning, Eusine," I greet him, slightly muffled by his purple coat, he smells like a grassy field and a little bit of cologne.

"Morning!" he sings, releasing his hold and taking a seat next to me. "I'm sure Morty told you what we're doing today?"

"Yes, I'm excited," I grin back at him, it feels good to know we're still friends.

"Good! We have even better news too," he wiggles his eyebrows at me. I glance back and forth between them curiously. "We remembered the whole 'training your pokemon' problem and decided to help you out with it. Morty will help you train on weekends, and I'll help during the week. It's partially our fault that your pokemon haven't been getting trained, you haven't been schooled in pokemon care as much as we have. So we're going to help you out with it."

"You guys are too awesome," I laugh, it sounds as if Eusine practiced the line that it's 'their fault'. I'm sure Morty told him to say it.

"We know," Morty chimes in, and I poke his side. "There was another thing."

"What?" I glance between them again, my curiosity rising once more.

"We're also debating on going to Goldenrod tomorrow."

"Can I meet Whitney?" I jump to the thought right away.

"Do you want to go?" Eusine questions with lines of worry on his face, I can understand it, but I can't hide forever.

_I can't hide from big crowds forever..._ I force yesterday's loss of control out of my head, I'm not letting it run my life.

"Why not? It'd be fun," I comment carefully, they share a glance and another silent conversation.

"It's actually a good idea so you can get more things for your stay here," Morty pipes up verbally, and I grin. "So I can have my wardrobe back."

"Don't even act like you wear athletic shorts all the time or oversized t shirts," I snort, at least I don't have to buy panties and bras with them. "Besides, you should get some new clothes too."

"Not you too," he groans and I laugh.

"I have the perfect outfit in mind, it's going to happen."

"Looks like Goldenrod is going to be interesting," Eusine comments with a grin.

"But, Olivine first!" I pipe up eagerly.

_**OoOoOoO**_

"Whoa..." I mutter in awe at the beauty of Olivine City.

Eusine teleported us here, considering I'll have to do a lot of walking around the city itself, and they thought it would be better to save walking through the routes for another time.

Cobblestones are lined up to create circles as the sidewalk, roads and flags with pokeballs on them are lined up above the street and the houses are lined up on little hills. I'm glad it's not too much like the anime, not some giant city that it would take hours to get through. Instead it's a bit bigger than Ecruteak, the harbor stretches in an arch to the lighthouse on the way end of the city making up most of the size.

We pass a few shops with large windows to welcome in customers, soft music wades out from their open doors. I assume we're on the way to the gym, but I'm too busy fawning over the sights to really care. Eusine sticks close to me, often pulling me out of the way of bikes or other people.

"You're kind of bad at this," I comment when I almost fall into the street.

"If you weren't so oblivious, I wouldn't have to be," he retorts, looping my left arm with his right arm tightly. "You're staying right next to me for the remainder of the trip."

"Ugh, fine," I begrudgingly keep up with his fast pace.

We round a corner and, sure enough, there's the steel type and built gym gleaming in the sunlight. If I were a trainer, I would be nervous about the big battle that would happen inside, I almost wish that were the case. Instead, I'm a little nervous in meeting Jasmine. Meeting Morty I had no choice in, but I do have a choice in meeting her.

"Shy?" Eusine raises a brow at me.

"Maybe."

"You weren't when you met Morty and me."

"I had no choice, we're stuck with each other," I speak truthfully. They laugh in agreement as we come up the steps. "Is she even here?"

"Don't worry, I made sure to call her yesterday, just in case," Morty opens the door for us and ushers us into the cooler gym.

I didn't even notice how hot it was outside until cold air blasts into my face, cooling me down. The gym is taller than expected. I wonder if her apartment is up above or maybe even behind. Steel girders line the ceiling in cool patterns zig zagging here and there like a line trailing to the other side of the field. Then the girders stab into the ground, marking the entry way where Jasmine would be.

There sits a chair in front of the beams and in it sits Jasmine with her Steelix protectively wrapped around it snoozing peacefully. I stop in the doorway, a stab of fear at just how _huge_ Steelix is. I wasn't expecting this!

"It's just Steelix, he won't hurt you," Morty mutters in my ear, and I glance up to see him watching me worriedly.

"I'm just surprised, I've never seen anything that big before," I retort quietly and they stare at me in surprise.

"Really?" Eusine comments, but we're interrupted by Jasmine clearing her throat.

"Hi, guys," she greets with a soft chuckle.

From this distance, she looks so innocent and beautiful in her blue dress and white cardigan. Morty really needs to get with the times.

"Come on in."

"We were just stopping by on our way to do a little shopping," Morty leads the way with Eusine pulling me along.

Steelix rouses from his sleep, his red eyes watch us approach his trainer. Morty and Eusine he must know because he stares only at me intently. His steel body shines bright in the artificial light and possibly from being healthy. It makes me want to feel and see if it's warm or freezing cold.

"And Layla wants to meet you," Eusine boots me forward, and I nearly hit the ground.

"Jerk," I swear at him before turning to Jasmine and greeting her casually. "Hi, I'm Layla."

"I'm Jasmine, it's nice to meet you Layla," she approaches me slowly, her gait is calm and controlled. "Where are you from?"

I take my hand back from our handshake and stare at her, what am I supposed to say?

"She's from Kanto, Lavender Town," Morty intervenes to my utter relief.

"Ah," she eyes me politely and with interest. "How're you liking Johto?"

"I love it here and I really like Olivine too," I state casually, sorry Morty, but with a nearby ocean and cobblestone streets Ecruteak has got tough competition.

"That's good, I'm glad my work is showing," she grins happily and she shifts on her feet to a more relaxed position. "We should hang out sometime."

"I do need a break from these two," I jokingly gesture to Morty and Eusine.

"Take her," Eusine coughs and I glare at him.

"What happened?" Jasmine's eyes widen when she sees the bandage around my arm, I quickly hide it behind my back.

_ I thought all of Johto knew I... _

"Just a little accident with Gengar," Morty steps in once again and suddenly I'm confused.

"Oh, I see," she seems to understand, I wonder how many times 'accidents' with Gengar happen. "Anyways, do you have a pokegear?"

My growing smile falters and I shake my head, "No...But just call Morty."

"Sounds like a plan," she giggles at Morty's fake exasperation.

"I guess it's okay," he pretends to be against the idea, I giggle in return. "We have to get going anyway, so see you around."

"Yeah, see y-" Jasmine starts, but Steelix stirs from his lying position and moves forward, probably curious about me.

I feel something poke at my mind as he approaches, my stomach does a flip and I take a step back, it reminds me of clearing Entei's mind of that substance. Morty mistakes it for fear and stands next to me to keep me steady in case I flip out. I don't let this strange thing into my mind, instead I shake my head slightly, and the feeling disappears.

"He just wants to say hi," Jasmine smiles at me kindly.

"Sorry, I just haven't seen a Steelix before," I swallow thickly and smile back. "The size is just shocking."

"Really? Come here and pet him," she waves her arm at me, beckoning me over.

"O-okay," I move from Morty's side and approach the pokemon slowly.

Steelix watches me warily as I come right up to his face. Jasmine pats his cheek, a look of encouragement in her eyes. Reaching out to the steel type, my hand comes into contact with, not cold, but warm, solid steel. It's the strangest thing, though, because you can tell he's alive underneath the steel. I can't feel blood like I can with Pidgeot or Blastoise, but life just _emanates_ from its body, strange.

"Cool...Thank you," I look from Jasmine to her pokemon.

"Anytime!" she grins as I return to the other two, waving as we exit.

"What's going on?" I scrutinize Morty. "Does she not know what happened?"

"Yes, she does," he sighs and we come to a stop at an intersection. "Only people in Ecruteak know about what _you_ did though. We didn't want you to be put in danger if someone got curious. The newscasts just say that Entei was finally stopped by a trainer and their pokemon."

"Wait, why doesn't it say that _you_ stopped Entei?"

Now it's Morty's turn to be confused, "Why would it say that?"

"Why not? It's your city, I'm sure you could've anyway," I shrug and tilt my head at him.

"At least someone has faith in your abilities," Eusine snickers, Morty gives him a glare that shuts him up right away. "I'm just kidding, I told you it should have said you."

"It doesn't matter to me, as along as Entei was stopped, it's fine," Morty shakes his head and starts to walk down the street. "Let's get shopping, the faster we shop the earlier we get home."

If only that were the case! I needed more clothes badly, and even though there wasn't much of a variety in the few shops we went to, I got a better variety than what I started out with. Morty bought me a book on training to study from, one that they all read when they were young and in school. Just holding it in my hand got me very excited!

After shopping, we went out to eat on the boardwalk at a nice little restaurant over the water. It was beautiful, the water was shimmering underneath the sun and the sky was full of fluffy clouds. Perfect for pulling me out of a slump and getting me back on my feet.

"So, I have to ask," Eusine starts, I freeze and stare at him, waiting for the bomb shell. "We're in a video game back home?"

My shoulders relax immediately, Morty gives his friend a 'way to go' kind of look, but Eusine ignores it.

"And an anime and a manga," I answer, sitting back between on a bench overlooking the beach. "I was a huge fan of the show when I was little, but now it's mainly the games."

"Were we featured in them?" he continues as if expecting the news that he's famous.

"In the show, not really, you guys made appearances, but that's about it," I giggle at his pout. "Same with the game, but you both had a bigger part in the one of the games than you did in the show."

"So, technically, you've battled me before?" Morty finally speaks, I see him raising an eyebrow at me.

"Yep, and I kicked your butt too," I nudge him with my good arm before poking Eusine. "You too."

"The only time you could," Eusine coughs, earning a smack from me. "Ouch!"

"Did I have a lot of ghost types?" Morty questions, ignoring our bickering.

"Yeah, after the first run through gym leaders get more pokemon. Do you want to know which ones?" I smile, it's cute that he's so curious about his team.

"No, I was just wondering," he shrugs it off with a smile towards the sky. "In a way, we were part of your childhood."

"In an artificial and aesthetic sort of way, yeah..." I trail, wondering how different my life would have been if I had stayed.

"Does that mean you had posters of us?" Eusine prompts.

"No," I roll my eyes at him. "If anything, I would have a poster of Lance."

Both men groan at the admission making me burst into a fit of giggles, I've seen many newscasts about Lance and numerous magazine articles on the champion. Each article with a supposed scandalous affair within. The press, even the fans I have seen, really have an eye out for him any time of the day. Poor guy.

They ignore my comment and continue on with a conversation as if I hadn't said anything. I think they trust me a bit more after those questions, as if it solidified the notion that I'm from a different dimension. We talk a little bit more about it over some dinner, questions were answered and normal conversation was made.

My favorite part was talking to Morty and Eusine openly... But only partially, I didn't tell them the truth. Instead we talked about the difference of my world and theirs, a lot of things surprise them. Like dogs not being able to breathe fire and how we don't fly on large birds around the world. Our conversation didn't turn to Entei or the attack at all, and for that I am relieved. For just a moment, I want the day to be good and uninterrupted by scary flashbacks.

On our way home, we start to walk, but my leg and lungs can't handle the stress, so teleporting with Alakazam it is. Despite the minor setbacks of my injuries forcing me to take multiple breaks between shopping trips being not only my day out, but Morty's free weekend from his gym leader duties, we're higher spirits than I'm sure we normally would have been.

Which makes me only excited for the adventure tomorrow.

* * *

**I'm such a Lance fan XD You'll have to bear with me on anything that mentions him. Now that summer is here, I will try to get a consistent schedule of updating going. But nothing is going to be set, so no promises on an every Tuesday thing or what. **

**So, until next time!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Hello! Sorry about the long break, I've been job hunting and planning a vacation that will hopefully happen this summer. On the bright side, I've gotten a lot of chapters done, so they just need editing. There's a little more action near the end, aside from that it's a chapter to get a feel for some other characters and such. **

**Enjoy!**

* * *

"Eusine, you're about to have your work cut out for you," I comment, gazing upon the massive buildings in Goldenrod and the thick traffic, vehicular and not.

Unlike Olivine, Goldenrod stretches far into the distance with buildings both tall and short making up the city. The roads are brick instead of cobblestone, and there are many more cars here than the two places I've seen. It's so strange to go from Ecruteak, where everything is walking distance, to Goldenrod or even Olivine.

"Why are we here!?" he questions in exasperation, grabbing my good arm and pulling me to his side immediately.

"Because Morty needs a new wardrobe," I giggle, and said gym leader face palms.

"I know, I know, let's meet Whit-"

"Eee!" a squeal of delight pierces our ears and those of the people around us.

Is that a pokemon? I whirl around to see a flash of pink crash into Morty.

"You're here! You almost never visit!" The girl is unmistakably Whitney, her pink hair being a dead giveaway. "And you brought Eusine!"

"Don't yo-" Eusine tries to stop Whitney by using me as a shield but I wrestle myself out of his grip just in time.

"It's good to see you too!" she beams at them both before addressing me. "And you must be Layla! Morty and Jasmine have told me about you."

"When did I tell you such a thing?" Morty holds up his first finger in a questioning pose.

"Indirectly," she winks before shaking my hand with vigor.

I hiss at her rough pull and jerk my arm away. "Careful, I got into an accident."

"Oh, sorry!" she slaps her hands to her mouth and glances at my arm. "With Gengar?"

"Seriously? How often does that happen?" I question the group, my eyes narrowed.

"Don't worry about it. What brings you to my city?" Whitney brushes it off casually. Looks like I'll never know.

"Morty needs a new wardrobe," I snicker, and she beams.

"I agree, can I come with?" she questions with an innocent look in her eyes, at my nod she lets out another piercing squeal. "Let's go!"

And with that, Whitney leads the way to the department store looming in the distance. Eusine still keeps his arm looped through mine to keep me out of trouble while Morty and Whitney talk ahead of us. I wonder if it's true that Morty doesn't visit her that much, Jasmine didn't say anything though. So was she just being dramatic or something?

"Jealous?" Eusine muses in my ear, and I glance up at him.

"What?" I frown and shake my head. "No, I'm wondering if Morty visits her or not."

"Uh huh... He does, she just likes having visitors to talk with," he watches me carefully, and I roll my eyes.

"I was going to say, because Jasmine didn't say anything, and so I thought he was being a poop to his fellow colleagues," I defend myself even further, why would I be jealous?

"Okay, okay," he says, half convinced about my defense.

But all is forgotten once we stand outside the department store, I have to tilt my head back to look at it. It's huge and decorated with two banners on it that say 'Goldenrod Department Store', in elegant writing. I'm excited to see all sorts of items inside, like stuff trainers buy for their pokemon and all their traveling needs.

Eusine pulls me inside and I'm surprised by how many people are on the first floor doing clothes shopping. The building is circularly built with a large beam stand in the middle of the building through a large opening giving way to the floors above and the rounded window on top. The gurgle of voices is a bit overwhelming as well as the number of people brushing by, but it only adds to the atmosphere of shopping.

Whitney leads us over to a men's store and I keep my eyes peeled for the clothing that I know for sure will look good on Morty. The floor reflects the lights from its shiny surface, mannequins dot every corner donning the latest fashions, and the smell of cologne is evident. Whitney and I take a deep inhale of the wonderful scent of men's cologne.

"What are you...?" Eusine gives us a crazed look.

"What?" we both shrug with smile on our faces.

"Everyone loves a good smelling guy," I giggle, and the two boys roll their eyes. "Anyways, where are the fitting rooms?"

"Over there," Whitney points to the closest just beyond counter of assorted colognes.

"Good, you two wait there while Whitney and I gather some stuff for you to try on," I pat Morty's arm before reaching for Whitney's wrist and rushing off to get lost in nice clothes and the alluring smell of men.

"Don't walk too much!" Morty calls after me.

"I will!" I call back cheekily.

"Why can't you walk too much?" Whitney questions as we leave the boys to their own devices.

"I've got a bruise on my lower back, hip, butt, and thigh," I comment, trying not to sound worried about it.

She lets out a surprised noise and eyes my back curiously. I actually consider showing her. It's so much easier to show girls stuff than guys, Morty, or Eusine, and it's just awkward. But then I think of how extreme it looks, if they're going with the excuse of Gengar I'm sure _this _isn't what they have in mind. I'm not going to be the one to ruin the secret.

"Yeah, I wasn't expecting it, but it doesn't hurt as bad as it looks. My skin bruises easy," I babble, pretending I didn't see her glance. Sorry, Whitney, maybe sometime soon.

"Oh, I understand that, I'm sure it scared the crap out of Morty," she seems to buy it and laughs.

"Yeah, it took forever to get him to relax and for me to explain easy bruising," I rub the back of my neck with a sheepish grin.

Pressure lifts off my shoulder as she doesn't bring up anything more on the way to the clothes. We browse through sales racks and the cheaper stuff before venturing for more expensive things. I suggest to Whitney that we look for darker colors with a splash of a bright color. She agrees, and just as I am about to give up on looking for the right thing, I find the sweater.

"Ooh! Like this!" I gasp in excitement, I can't believe this is happening.

"Oh!" her eyes light up and she gives me an impressed nod. "I like where you're going with this."

It's Whitney who finds the accessories department which in turn leads her to discover the headband and scarf. A bubble of giddiness rises within me as I find the pants. I grab a bigger size just to be safe before we sprint, well half sprint half speed walk, back to Morty. He doesn't look too excited when I shove the clothes at him and push him into the changing room.

"You have to show us, okay?" I call in there, taking a seat on a bench and rubbing my bruises to sooth them.

"Yeah, fine," he calls back half heartedly.

"What about shoes?" Whitney tilts her head, I gasp in realization.

"What's your shoe size?" I ask in a rush, I'm sure I can make it to the shoe department and back.

"Ten and a half."

"Eusine stay here, let's go, Whitney!"

With that we half dash for the shoe section in the back of the store and scan the racks for the right shoes. She picks out some nice ones that I consider, but I just can't bring myself to say yes. And then, I find them, by chance they're the last ones left, and I grab them before anyone else can.

"What do you think of these?" I pop over by her and she smiles at me.

"Did you plan this outfit out?"

"No," I state a little too fast, closing the lid on the box. "I just know this will be good, thanks for the help."

"Of course!" she beams as we walk back at a leisurely pace, my bruise is not liking the amount of movement I'm putting it through. "So, are you enjoying Johto? Jasmine said you were from Lavender Town, right?"

"Yep, that's right. I really like Johto, I feel like there's so much going on here," I reply, hoping to keep up a good facade.

"I agree," she nods, and then puts a finger on her chin. "Are you staying with Morty?"

"Yes," I try to keep my tone casual.

"How long have you known him?" she tilts her head at me. "He hasn't mentioned you before."

"Oh? Well, it's not like we're childhood friends or something," I stall to come up with a story of some sort... "We just met when I was traveling for fun, and I'm just a huge fan of gym leaders so I had to ask him a few questions. He was really nice and helped me find my way around and, yeah, I'm not really sure where along the lines we became friends."

"Huh, I wonder why he never mentioned it," she says with a thoughtful glance, I hope she doesn't become suspicious.

"It's not like it's a big deal or anything," my voice comes out a little stressed, how far away are those dressing rooms?

"I know, but it would have been nice to know, so we could hang out," she beams, it lights up her face and gets me smiling back at her.

"There you are!" Eusine exclaims, accepting the shoes from me to pass on.

"Is he not out yet?" I frown, glancing at the entrance of the changing rooms.

"He wanted to wait for the shoes," Eusine snaps in a playful tone before delivering the box.

It's not a long wait before Morty comes sauntering out of the changing room donning the new clothes. And holy cow... He looks so handsome in them. The change in front of my eyes is much more dramatic than the game art back home.

The sweater was the right size, holding snug to his slim form. The white pants reveal just how long his legs are, and the scarf makes him look adorable. He adjusts the headband on his head with a shy look, brushing his thick hair out of his face. His purple eyes stand out as he glances at each of us. When they land on me, I'm suddenly shy and can't speak, a warmth hits my face and my brain blanks.

"Well?" his voice breaks me from my spell.

"You look good!" Whitney exclaims, and I nod in agreement.

"Bro, they're right," Eusine turns Morty around, and he poses in front of the mirror, only to make me blush even more.

"Do you like it?" I speak after Whitney talks about how nice Morty looks in dark grey, purple, and white.

"Yes, these are comfortable," he gestures to the shirt and scarf. "It'll be good with Gengar always around."

"So you're getting it?" I clasp my hands and give him puppy dog eyes.

"Of course," he grins, and that makes the warm feeling in my stomach grow.

First the cologne and now clothes, I need fresh air, I try to breathe as he breaks away to change back.

"Layla picked out most of the clothes, it's like she already had an idea!" I hear Whitney telling Eusine and smile at them.

"I just took an educated guess," I shrug it off. Eusine eyes me knowingly, he has a pretty good idea of where I got the image.

Morty returns still looking handsome, but a little awkward in his older outfit, and we make a beeline for the checkout. Whitney and I pick up a few extra clothes for him on the way, even Eusine gets a few new ones too. My stomach still has butterflies fluttering wildly at the thought of having to be around Morty in his new clothes. I never would have thought that this would become a problem for me...

"So you picked out the clothes?" Morty asks as I wait for him outside the changing room, the other two wanted to wait outside the store instead of in here.

I avert my eyes as he adjusts the sweater, giving me a peek at his stomach.

"Perks of being from a different dimension, I know that this is your second design for the remakes. And, frankly, it suits you and your type of pokemon very well," I reply with a blush still on my cheeks.

"Thank you," he seems to swell a little bit with pride, it makes me smile on our way out of the store.

"Did you want to shop?" Whitney glances at me.

"That's a good idea, you two get going!" Eusine pushes me into her before I can answer. "We'll meet you here in an hour."

"An hour?" I whine, that's way too long to be in a store looking at clothes.

"Yeah! That's not even enough time to get some shoe shopping done," Whitney hooks arms with me, my left arm, and drags me off.

"Just a second!" Morty calls before pulling a card out from his pocket and handing it to me, our fingers brush and my face warms up again. His eyes watch me with a certain kind of gleam in them I can't name. "Try not to buy the whole story, hm?"

"Right!" Whitney gets back to dragging me off, leaving me to stare after Morty and Eusine.

It doesn't turn out to be too bad, Whitney is great company to keep. She fills in the silence with stories and jokes that soothe my nerves, especially in the crowded stores. She picks out a few nice shirts, tank tops, jeans, and even some shorts for me. I made sure they were all sale items that wouldn't leave a huge dent in Morty's personal budget. I feel so weird walking around with his card.

"For not being long time friends, Morty sure trusts you a lot," Whitney comments, trying on some sportswear.

"What do you mean?" I glance up at her face in the mirror, she stares back at me with a smile.

"He gave you his League card in a department store," she snorts as if I should have known. "They're our monthly payments, very generous mind you, that we can use personally or for our gyms. I'm just saying I wouldn't just trust anybody with my money."

"What could I do with this that would be bad?" I twist the gold and burgundy card around in my hand.

Morty's name is on the front as well as his position of Gym Leader, on the back is his signature. It's starts out elegant with the 'm' and then it's stocky for the rest of it, then his 'y' sweeps under his name in an underline. Kind of generic, but I find it cute and befitting of Morty.

"You mustn't shop much, huh?" she scrunches her nose at me as if to judge.

"Not really," I shrug and slip the card into my pocket. "Only when I need to, I like shopping for groceries though."

"Bleh!" she sneers at the thought of shopping for food. "That's boring."

"So is this," I gesture to the abundant clothes racks around us.

"Touche."

After she's done, we head out and meet the boys back towards the men's store we were in earlier. I'm exhausted from shopping, and these bags are starting to get heavier after each passing minute. I take more breaks than usual, and Whitney takes a load off my right arm to help my stitches. My stomach rumbles loudly, and the wafting smell of food from the food court up above isn't helping.

"Hey guys," Eusine greets us as they squeeze their way around the crowd.

"What did you guys get?" Whitney questions, eyeing Morty with his hands behind his back. "I bet it's for Layla."

"Yep," Morty faces me and grins. "Close your eyes and hold out your hands."

Setting down the bags, I do as told and wait patiently for my gift like a child getting a surprise on their birthday. A cool object is set in my hands, rectangular in shape and just the size to fit in both my palms. My lips crack into a smile and I open my eyes to see my own green pokegear waiting to be used.

"Aww, thank you!" I squeal, clutching the pokegear to me tightly. "You didn't have to."

"Yes, I did. I don't want girl gossip on mine," he jokes, pulling out his own pokegear, of course it's purple. "Here, I'll show you how to use it..."

Soon, his, Eusine, Jasmine, and Whitney's numbers are stored away in my phone book. I feel so official with my own pokegear. From there we go to lunch on the second floor, it's nothing long and fancy, just a quick break before we go home. Whitney takes us back to her gym, I get to meet her Milktank and a few of her gym trainers.

And then deja vu happens.

"Whitney there's trouble," an Officer Jenny comes rushing in. She sounds nothing like the Jenny in Ecruteak City, but they look exactly alike. Morty, Eusine, and I share a knowing look, dread starts to bubble in my stomach, hopefully it's not a warning that pokemon are in trouble.

"What's going on?" Whitney's innocent demeanor disappears and a business-like one takes its place.

"The tech building near the radio tower is under attack," Jenny informs her, Whitney starts to follow the officer.

I move to follow along but Morty's sticks his arm out to stop me, "It's not safe for you."

"What if it's a pokemon?" I prompt quietly. Yes, the thought scares the crap out of me, but I don't want someone to die because I'm scared. "I can't just let people get hurt."

"I understand bu-"

"Hey, do you guys want to help?" Whitney calls from the door, a hint of impatience in her voice.

"Coming!" I call, I plead with Morty with my eyes.

He relents, but sticks to my side as we cross Goldenrod.

The tall black building of the Radio Tower, comes into view along with an industrial building behind it. Nothing seems out of the ordinary except, maybe, the smoke climbing into the sky and the workers running around everywhere. My heart rate picks up, and I force myself to stay in the present and focus on the problem at hand. Eusine and Morty flank my sides, and it takes all my control to not roll my eyes at their protective behaviour. They care, and it's sweet, I remind myself.

"Gengar, Haunter, let's go!" Morty calls out his pokemon, as does Eusine with his Drowzee and Whitney with her Milktank. "Gengar, stay with Layla."

"What?" I frown at him, the others move to help the officers already inside.

"I'm not letting you go in there with untrained pokemon. Eusine and I will start training you after today," Morty gives me a stern look, and my shoulders slump. "You need to be safe."

"I know..." I nod slowly.

Jenny's officers usher people out of the building as firefighters rush to try and put out the fires. I have no time to register the flames or the heat as we're pushed straight into the fight. My mind begins to whirl as I'm swallowed up by the heat in the narrow hallways, and I can't seem to get enough air in.

_Focus, focus! You're fine!_ I urge in my head, grabbing Gengar's arm to steady myself.

"Gen?" he questions me, but I haven't spent much time around pokemon to understand him.

Morty, Eusine, Whitney, and Jenny hurry down the flaming corridor ahead of us, they seem so much farther away than I thought. I hang back for just a moment. I can't help it as my heart rate speeds up, and all I can see is Entei in my mind's eye. Its fiery red eyes, sharp fangs, the growl from deep within its chest...

"Gar! Gen!" Gengar exclaims, pulling me to my feet.

_When did I get on the ground?_

"I-I'm fine," I reassure him, struggling to control my whirling thoughts. "Let's go."

We continue to run forward at a slower pace. As long as I keep my eyes forward and elevated, it's easier to ignore the flames lashing out at me. My bruise begins to burn just like before, and the cuts on my arm begin to ache. Gengar floats next to me, keeping one eye on me and another on our environment.

We come up to a main room full of desks, large monitors, and machinery, possibly for assembly or something. It's hot in here as well, but, thankfully, there's a hole in the roof to let out most of the heat.

However, that's how the perps behind this are getting away with equipment by using a Skarmory. Up at the front of the room, Morty and Eusine are fighting a Crobat and Houndoom while Whitney and Jenny keep a Muk and an Arcanine busy. Immediately, I grab Gengar and duck behind a desk to gain the element of surprise. My skin, aside from the heat, feels normal, so it must be just a robbery.

Good, no pokemon running around loose then...

"Let's see who's behind this, shall we?" I mutter to myself, but Gengar floats over my shoulder to get a look too.

Careful to not squish my bruise, I lean over my left leg and settle on my knees to peek past the desks. Standing below the hole in the ceiling, in Team Rocket apparel, are Attila and Hun. Silver haired Hun seems to be explaining something to the blond Attila. Both look displeased at the fighting, but don't seem to be actively participating. Instead, Attila is gathering a few pieces of equipment with a large case while Hun packs some bags on Skarmory. The flying type then zooms out the hole in the ceiling.

"I have a plan," I tell Gengar, but then I wonder if he'll listen to me, I'm no where near the skill Morty has and I don't even know his attacks. "But... will you work with me?"

He stares at me for a long moment, I'm not sure if he's calling me crazy or just plain stupid. I kind of stare back, although it makes me uncomfortable. But what if this is a test? What happens if I stare for too long? I avert my gaze and decide to look for an alternative.

"Gengar, gen," he speaks up and I glance at him.

"I haven't been around pokemon long, what?" I try to understand his words, but he just gives me a look that says 'I'm ready'. "You'll listen?"

An exasperated nod is what I get in return, I let out a little squeal and reach to hug him, but he disappears from my view. This fuels my plan even more.

"Good, my plan is to attack Skarmory so they can stop stealing stuff. If you surprise attack him while invisible, then it'll not only distract Skarmory but also Attila and Hun. Giving the others an advantage," I explain quickly, I sure hope this works, I'm not a very good tactician, but it's something. "Does that sound good?"

"Gar." he speaks from in front of me before I feel his hand on my arm pulling me to the desk behind our original hiding spot.

I sit on my knees again and watch with my face half hidden as Attila and Hun laugh and mock my friends. Anger builds in me, and I wonder where Gengar is and if he's going to listen or if he's just laughing at me. Skarmory dives in from the hole ready to take more loads to wherever they're going. Crossing my fingers, I wait for Gengar to attack and nearly leap up in relief that he listened.

Just as Skarmory is loaded up, a powerful shadow ball slams into the pokemon, sending it through the wall and into a closet. Hun and Attila whirl around searching for the owner of such an attack. I fall backwards in case they catch sight of me, I hear Eusine question aloud who it was.

My heart races with hope as Gengar continues to attack Skarmory from around the room. Giving the others a chance to defeat the other pokemon. Attila and Hun call out commands desperately.

"Enough!" Attila shouts in anger. "Skarmory, flush them out with Air Slash."

Oh, shit...

I smack my back to the desk, hunch over, and cover the back of my neck with my hands just in case the attack goes everywhere. But before anything can happen, Gengar is in front of me, pulling my left arm to follow. Keeping low, I allow him to drag me back near the exit of the room just as the desk I was behind, and the whole row around it, gets destroyed.

Gengar pulls me to a stop behind another set of desks before disappearing to fight Skarmory off again. Breathing heavy from all this action, I move to peer around the desk to see what's going on. Morty and Eusine are starting to win, and Whitney and Jenny have got the upper hand and are starting to get to Attila.

"Yes!" I whisper in excitement.

A flash of silver moves within my view, and I stumble backwards out of surprise. On instinct, I avoid falling on my left leg and almost hit the floor on my stitched arm. A hand reaches out and clutches my upper arm before forcing me to my feet. I look up to see Hun staring at me with anger in his eyes. Hell no, I'm not going to let him treat me like this.

"Hey, Attila, looks like we have a pipsqueak," he hoists me over to the aisle between the ruined desks. "And she's got a problem with her leg here."

"Let me g-" I start and then scream when he slams his left hand into my thigh and squeezes.

"And just to be sure..." he growls, grabbing stitches only to pull on them.

Blinking through the hot pain tearing at me, I manage to let my anger go and smack his face with my fist. He grunts in pain and let's go of me, I bite my thumb to control the raging energy inside me dying to break out soon after my physical outburst. Glancing at Hun's retreating figure, I clutch my now bleeding arm angrily and start to move toward him. "You asshat! That hurt!"

"Layla!" Morty runs over and grabs my left arm. "Stop, you'll make it worse."

"Look at my arm!" I demand, showing him the now open wound, blood drips from my elbow to the ground. "It's going to scar! And my bruise...Ugh!"

He ignores my argument and begins to pull me away from the seething Hun who's at Attila's side. My arm is blazing with pain, much like when I got the wound, and with my hip hurting too, I might as well be living deja vu all day today. I can't even bare to look at my arm, peeled back skin broken along the sturdy wires that were holding it together drenched in blood. I think I might puke...

"You'll pay for this," Hun growls at me, holding his swelled up cheek, a ladder drops down from a helicopter above. Both men are gone within moments, Skarmory blocks off anymore attacks with Protect and, in an explosion of smoke, disappears.

I open my mouth to speak when Morty clears his throat sternly, one glance at him and my mouth clicks shut. He doesn't look pleased at all. It's always the quiet and calm ones you have to look out for. The pain soon starts to become acute and agonizing, and I pull my arm away from Morty with a sob, clutching my elbow. It only makes it feel worse, but the bleeding has to stop.

"The ambulance is on its way, let's get her out of here!" Jenny urges as the firemen start rushing in to put out the flames.

"Come on," Morty encourages, he pulls me by my left elbow and walks me forward at a growing pace.

"Morty, my leg," I remind him, the bitter throb causes me to limp down the hall.

"Sorry," he mutters, slowing down enough to help me catch up.

Eusine is at my right side holding my right hand and supporting me with his other hand on the small of my back. I feel Morty's hand slide up my arm to hold my upper arm to guide me around the debris. I almost tell him that it's my arm that's hurt, not my brain, but the jolt I just got refuses to let me speak.

Okay, maybe I hurt my head somehow.

I'm grateful for the cool air of late afternoon and then relieved that the ambulance rounds the corner just in time. At this point, my lip is bleeding from how hard I've been biting it to deal with my elbow. Paramedics rush out of the back of the truck and over to me with a stretcher, I sit down on it and lay back. I refuse the brace until Jenny tells them it's just my arm and they leave it alone. I must look terrified because Morty sticks to the side of the stretcher all the way to the ambulance.

In a fast blur, I'm in the back of the ambulance with a cloth around my arm to stop the bleeding and Morty sitting next to me with his hands clutching the stretcher. The paramedics are speaking to each other and then are asking me basic info. For each answer I give, they look to Morty for confirmation.

I don't have a concussion people, come on!

"I hope you don't have to pay for these hospital visits," I glance up at Morty as we round another corner.

"Don't worry, I don't," he grimaces in a mocking manner, his eyes show me his worry even though he looks calm and controlled. "You're getting to be expensive."

"What can I say?" I shrug with a nonchalant smile. "I got quite the skills."

"I'll say, nice punch," he smirks, crossing his arms.

"Thanks, my hand kind of hurts though," I wiggle the fingers on my left hand, the ache is dull compared to the stabbing pain in my arm. "That'll teach him."

Morty lets out another scoff before we come to a stop, and I'm pulled from the ambulance immediately. For a moment, I begin to panic until I remind myself that it's just my arm that needs fixing and a check up on my hip. We pass under many lights before I'm pulled into my own section of the ER.

I'm put up into a sitting position when an ER doctor comes to get me patched up. He introduces himself as Dr. Barnett and explains to me what he's going to do. As soon as he pulls out the needle, I bite my lip and tighten my fist. Morty leans forward to catch my gaze and smiles.

"Don't look, just focus on me and my new outfit," he says, and I have to laugh no matter how shaky it sounds.

"Wow, self centered much?" I flinch at the needle pushing into my skin.

"Can't deny my good looks. Look at me," he gestures to himself with a cute half smile.

"I'm pretty sure I can, why do you think you needed a new outfit? You looked like a dork," I snort, sparing a quick glance at the repair work.

"Harsh," he pretends feigns pain. I have to say, it's weird seeing Morty so animated, he's usually calm and quiet.

"Done," Dr. Barnett states after our bickering dies down.

"What?" I look over at him, I almost forgot that he was here. "Cool, I barely felt a thing, thank you."

"You're welcome," he grins at me before cleaning up the blood and such. "Now, should we get a look at that bruise?"

"Oh, yeah," I roll my eyes in frustration. "Stupid Hun."

"If you'll just...?" Dr. Barnett gestures for Morty to take a step outside the curtain, a nurse takes his place. I slip down my pants, dreading a glance at my leg, Dr. Barnett seems mildly surprised at the size of the bruise. And I wasn't even hit full on! "Well, it seems to have been healing just fine. It doesn't look like you're in any danger with this new development, yet. If it does not go away, I suggest you go see your doctor."

"Okay, thank you," I huff, staring at the partial hand print now on my leg, it's not a perfect hand print, more like a few lines. But my brain just knows it was Hun's hand that made this worse.

"No problem." Dr. Barnett smiles at me before taking his leave.

The nurse puts my arm in a sling to help it stay stabilized before I sign some papers for discharge. My mind spins with what happened at the factory, did Hun and Attila cause Entei to go crazy? Or are these two separate instances? I think the chances of these events being unrelated are pretty low.

"You okay?" Morty questions next to me, his hands down in his pockets.

"Hm? Yeah," I smile at him, deciding it would be best to think about this a different time.

He leads the way out of the ER to a waiting police car ready to take us to Whitney's gym to grab our things. I'm told that Whitney will be able to handle the cleanup of the building and that it's no big deal and Goldenrod will be okay. Eusine is at the gym, and he practically tackles me with joy. Whitney is not there, but out getting things situated. We grab our bags and Eusine teleports us home.

_**OoOoOoO**_

"Looks like they're going to be sticking around longer than intended, huh?" Eusine gestures to the bandages on my arm.

I let out a depressed sigh. "Yeah, unfortunately...and the scar is going to be much worse. Stupid Hun."

We're at the bar as usual, eating a few snacks and relaxing after a long day. Morty reported to Jenny what happened, which makes me wonder if the Elites know at all. Maybe they do and Jenny is the messenger or something. But shouldn't they be here questioning us to know what happened?

Whatever, don't worry about it, I comment to myself, taking a bite of a pecha berry. I love the sweetness of it, it is so addicting.

"But hey, at least you start training tomorrow," Eusine tries to cheer me up.

"I guess. I haven't really read much in the book though," I start to smile, I just got the book yesterday and started the first chapter late last night. It's pretty interesting for an educational book.

"That's okay, you'll pick up the stuff quickly," Morty adds in, looking up from the newspaper, even at night he reads it. "It's not that difficult once you get going."

"Right," I state, only half believing him. "I am excited though."

"That's good, it'll be fun," Eusine grins at me. He's always so happy.

I retire to my room soon after and carefully plop down on my bed. My body aches with exhaustion and some pain. Changing into pajamas, I slide off the sling and get comfortable in the darkness. As soon as my head hits the pillow, I'm out cold.

* * *

**Quick little note: I am updating the Side Story Adventures tonight with a little short with Autumn and Steven, it's not hugely important _right now, _but some of the info in might be for a future time. **

**Until next time!**


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